


Happy Ever After?

by kpopismydrug



Category: DBSK | Tohoshinki | TVfXQ | TVXQ, Super Junior
Genre: Implied/Referenced Homophobia, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-07-19
Updated: 2014-07-19
Packaged: 2018-02-09 13:46:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 29,623
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1985193
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kpopismydrug/pseuds/kpopismydrug
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Kyuhyun hasn’t lived an exciting life, quite ordinary and boring really, but he wouldn’t change it, and this is why; life is about taking risks, and Kyuhyun made the right one.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Happy Ever After?

**Author's Note:**

  * For [teaseofnight](https://archiveofourown.org/users/teaseofnight/gifts).



> Originally this was meant to be a kyuhaehyuk fic, but the fic itself had other ideas and this is the final result. Hope you all like it (you especially Ashley because this is way overdue).

 

 

 

 

 

Once upon a time, in a not so distant past, a little boy of the age of seven years old was facing the biggest dilemma of his young life. Having come to a new place, leaving behind his comfortable home that he cherished and felt safest in, the young boy couldn’t relax in this new and strange place.

 

His sister, who was much older than him, found his attitude to the change stupid, which made them fight, him declaring war on her as she abandoned him to go off on her own new adventure.

 

Speaking of adventures, he called his a dilemma rather than an adventure.

 

He refused to play along with the way his family has turned; he refuses to accept this change.

 

He will not bend to their will; he will not simply ‘mix in’ with these vile strangers.

 

A horrible screechy wail interrupts his thoughts and he looks up from his book to see a young boy like himself running after another, tears and snots running down his face.

 

Kyuhyun shudders and brings the book back up to his face.

 

“Boys!” the head of Kyuhyun’s current nightmare scolds harshly, causing him to peek over the book again.

 

The wailing boy clings to the one he had been chasing after, much to the other boy’s frustration.

 

“I don’t want to play!” the captured boy whines, trying to shake off the other.

 

The snotty boy clings harder, hiccupping. “Hyukie~”

 

Kyuhyun gags and returns to his book, but looks up at feeling a presence come up from behind him.

 

Looking behind himself, Kyuhyun scowls at the woman.

 

“Kyuhyun~” the strange and annoying women crooned down to him. “You can’t stay here all day.”

 

Kyuhyun ignores her and turns his back to her, staring at the corner he had placed himself in.

 

He refuses to cave.

 

 

 

Hyukjae watches as the teacher tries to get the new student to join them, only to snort at seeing the brat turn his back to her, ignoring her.

 

“Does he even speak?” he comments, shrugging off Donghae again.

 

Donghae threatens to cry again, and Hyukjae sighs and drags him to the stupid sandbox (that had been left behind from the kindergarten visit yesterday) where he was wanting to show Hyukjae the castle he had built.

 

The brat had joined their school at the beginning of the week, and ever since then, he’s done nothing but ignore the teachers and the other kids.

 

“We should play with him...” Donghae mumbles, looking at the brat as Hyukjae tugs him to the sandbox.

 

Hyukjae scoffs. “All he does is sit by himself and read; that’s not fun.”

 

Donghae wipes his face with his sleeve, removing the snot and tears. “But it’s not nice being on your own,” he pouts.

 

Hyukjae ignores it and stares at the....castle. “What’s that?” he bluntly asks, pointing at the pile of sand.

 

Donghae grins. “It’s my castle!”

 

Hyukjae stares at the thing. “No it’s not.”

 

Donghae’s grin slips. “Yes it is...”

 

Hyukjae shakes his head and prods it and the pile of sand falls over, a shocked gasp leaving Donghae as Hyukjae freezes.

 

As Donghae begins to wail again, Hyukjae is busy defending himself as the slightly younger male hits him as well as trying to calm him down so they don’t get into trouble again.

 

They still do.

 

“Stupid Hae...” Hyukjae grumbles to himself as he stands at the wall, facing it.

 

Donghae is still kicking up a fuss, refusing to calm down from across the room.

 

Hyukjae peeks at the brat who is still in his own world, oblivious to the chaos of the joint class of 2nd and 3rd grade in the spare classroom.

 

His dark brown mop of hair is hiding his face that isn’t already blocked by the story book he’s reading.

 

Hyukjae squints to read the title of the book, and stares at realising it doesn’t look like a story book, but an _English_ book.

 

“Who studies during break?” Hyukjae mutters to himself, and hears the teacher approach him as the bell rings, signalling the end of their recess.

 

As he’s rebuked for making Donghae cry, again, Hyukjae stares out of the room’s window, watching the heavy, miserable downpour that’s matching his mood.

 

As he bows and accepts his warning that he’ll be split from Donghae if it happens again, the pain in Hyukjae’s butt runs over to him to hurry him so they can get their seats at their table.

 

Hyukjae watches as the 2nd graders line up, allowing the older students to leave first for their own classroom, and spies the silent brat right at the back of the line, looking bored.

 

Hyukjae shakes his head as he sees the boy ignore the girl trying to talk to him.

 

What a brat.

 

 

 

Kyuhyun’s mother is brought in by the end of the first few days.

 

Kyuhyun stands and listens to his homeroom teacher tell his mother that Kyuhyun is having trouble settling into the class, and if there was anything they could do or need to know to make him feel more comfortable.

 

“He hasn’t any learning difficulties that we know of,” his mother worries, looking down at him. “Maybe he just needs a bit longer.”

 

_Or maybe we can go back to my old school_ , Kyuhyun thinks huffily to himself.

 

“We could assign him a buddy?” his teacher suggests, and Kyuhyun feels a cold thread of horror worm its way through him.

 

“Buddy?” his mother questions, confused.

 

As the teacher explains the school’s buddy system, Kyuhyun is shaking his head wildly, tugging at his mother’s hand for them to leave.

 

“That might help you come out of your shell, honey,” his mother whispers as she crouches down to his height. “It’ll be easier for you to find a friend!”

 

Kyuhyun shakes his head aggressively. “I don’t want a friend!”

 

Kyuhyun’s mother ignores him and nods at his teacher. “Let’s do it.”

 

Kyuhyun curbs the need to stamp his feet and instead sulks in silence, ignoring his mother for the rest of the evening.

 

He will not befriend someone who is forced to speak with him.

 

 

 

Kyuhyun glares at the boy in front of him.

 

The boy glares back defensively. “You’re rude.”

 

Kyuhyun ignores him and heads for his desk.

 

He hears the boy follow him, hearing the other kids settle before the bell rings.

 

Kyuhyun still ignores the kid as he sits in front of him, even pulls his desk further back to put more space between him and his keeper.

 

As the bell rings and the teacher comes in to take attendance, Kyuhyun stares out of the window, ignoring the world.

 

When his name is called, he dully responds.

 

When his keeper’s name is called, Kyuhyun tries to block out the boy’s name.

 

He has no use for it.

 

Throughout the morning of lessons, Kyuhyun becomes sucked into the lessons, his thirst for knowledge unavoidable. By the time break comes, Kyuhyun still wants to work, eager to continue with the interesting lesson.

 

As the other kids excitedly rush to play outside now that the nice weather is back, Kyuhyun stays in his seat, repeating his notes on what he’s just learnt to make sure he understands it.

 

He hears a loud sigh and looks up to see his keeper still sitting there, just them in the class.

 

Kyuhyun ignores him.

 

Another sigh, this time even louder and more drawn out.

 

Kyuhyun’s eye twitches and he forces himself not to bite at the bait.

 

His keeper peeks over his shoulder at Kyuhyun and Kyuhyun glares right back.

 

“Brat,” he hears the keeper mutter passionately under his breath, and Kyuhyun decides he may as well play with his poor keeper, make him even more miserable.

 

He suddenly stands and his keeper quickly does the same, looking at him.

 

Kyuhyun sits down again, going back to his work.

 

His keeper makes an angry sound, and Kyuhyun bites back a smile as he doodles in his work book.

 

“Fine,” he hears his keeper whisper, and he looks up to see a determined expression on the boy’s face as he sits and watches Kyuhyun work.

 

“Let’s play,” his keeper grins, and Kyuhyun’s gut clenches at the challenge.

 

He’s going to show his keeper true stubbornness.

 

He will not cave.

 

 

 

 

In a surprising turn of events, both of their stubbornness results in them becoming close, their jibes and sarcastic comments to each other gradually evolved into banter between them, which eventually led to them willingly wanting to talk to the other.

 

The buddy system worked; Kyuhyun made a friend.

 

 

 

 

Hyukjae didn’t even realise he had been keeping an eye on the kid until he realised he wasn’t alone anymore.

 

“He’s made a friend,” he muses to himself, ignoring Donghae as he tries to break his neck by trying to do a handstand.

 

Donghae falls in front of Hyukjae and Hyukjae doesn’t even blink at the fall, used to seeing it in the past five minutes.

 

“Who?” Donghae groans out, rubbing his hips.

 

Hyukjae nods over at the direction. “The brat.”

 

Donghae squints in the direction and frowns. “Wookie?”

 

Hyukjae roll his eyes. “No, the boy next to him.”

 

“Isn’t that the new kid?” Donghae perks up, surprised. “How did Ryeowook manage that?”

 

Hyukjae shrugs, watching as the brat and Ryeowook talk animatedly with each other over their packed lunches. “Wookie has always been able to befriend the strange ones.”

 

He splutters in surprise when Donghae heads in that direction, grabbing his wrist to stop him. “What are you doing?!” he demands as Donghae gives him a confused look.

 

“To see Wookie?” Donghae states slowly. “His birthday is coming up and I need to tell him I lost the party invite.”

 

Hyukjae ends up being dragged by the boy over to the two 2nd graders.

 

“Hae-hyung!” Ryeowook greets happily, completely ignoring Hyukjae’s existence, which he had expected.

 

Donghae hugs the smaller male while the brat looks on with disinterest.

 

“Kyuhyun,” Ryeowook nudges the brat to get his attention. “This is Donghae; he lives in the same neighbourhood as me.”

 

“Hello to you too,” Hyukjae mumbles as Ryeowook continues to ignore him.

 

Kyuhyun bows his head, but looks away once he’s done his greeting.

 

Donghae gives Hyukjae a raised eyebrow look at the dismissive action.

 

“Ya,” Hyukjae rebukes, standing in front of Kyuhyun to get his attention, ignoring the stormy glare coming from Ryeowook.

 

Kyuhyun looks up at him, unamused. “Yes?”

 

“We’re older,” he points to himself and Donghae. “You should act more proper.”

 

Kyuhyun stares at him. “Okay.”

 

Hyukjae feels his mouth part in shock, seeing Donghae smile, amused as he studies Kyuhyun.

 

“You-” Hyukjae begins to rage, but is yanked away from Kyuhyun by Donghae.

 

“I can still come to the party, right?” Donghae asks sweetly and Ryeowook nods his head, smiling.

 

“Of course,” he grins, and then he sours when he meets Hyukjae’s eyes. “But _he’s_ not allowed.”

 

“It was an accident!” Hyukjae stresses, annoyed. “Even your mum isn’t angry about it!”

 

“You’re still not coming,” Ryeowook sniffs, grabbing Kyuhyun’s wrist, “come on, let’s go back inside.”

 

Kyuhyun follows silently, and Hyukjae sighs in frustration as Donghae stares after them.

 

“He’s quiet,” Donghae comments, and Hyukjae stares at him.

 

“He’s a brat,” he hisses, turning to leave, “just like his new pal.”

 

Donghae laughs at his mini tantrum and follows after him.

 

 

 

Kyuhyun eyes the party invitation and then looks back up at Ryeowook. “I don’t like parties.”

 

Ryeowook waits, holding it out still.

 

Kyuhyun sighs and takes it. “I’ll try.”

 

Ryeowook continues to stare at him.

 

Kyuhyun looks down at the invitation to escape the creepy stare.

 

“Okay, I’ll come,” he grinds out, finally caving after being bugged with it over the past two days.

 

Ryeowook pats his head in a condescending manner and Kyuhyun storms back to his own desk, ignoring Ryeowook’s victorious laugh.

 

What a brat.

 

 

 

A week later and Kyuhyun finds himself stuck in a war.

 

A war that constitutes of an angry Ryeowook and a very apologetic Hyukjae who is currently hiding behind his mother.

 

Kyuhyun watches the whole thing, greatly amused that Ryeowook could hold a grudge this long.

 

He saves this little titbit of information for future reference.

 

He soon learns that Hyukjae had accidently broken Ryeowook’s favourite toy a few weeks ago and that’s why Ryeowook was still carrying a grudge.

 

Hyukjae soon won him round by presenting him a replacement of the toy.

 

Kyuhyun found the party a little overbearing, he wasn’t a huge social butterfly, but he was making the effort because Ryeowook didn’t have to invite him with only being friends with him for a short space of time.

 

As Ryeowook’s mother gathered him and the other kids to play a round of musical chairs, Kyuhyun braced himself for the carnage to come with the game.

 

Soon enough, all that remained was Donghae and Hyukjae, and neither were playing nice.

 

“Are they always like this?” he whispers curiously to an amused Ryeowook.

 

The music cuts off and both of them race for the lone seat, hitting each other as they fight to sit on it.

 

“Donghae-hyung may look like a cry baby, but he’s pretty strong,” Ryeowook whispers back, and Donghae proves this by yanking Hyukjae viciously off the chair and sitting on it himself, cheering at his success.

 

Kyuhyun can’t help but grin as well, sniggering when Hyukjae sulks and plays on the role of loser.

 

He knows those two are close to Ryeowook, he’s seen it over the course of the party and the last few days at school during breaks and lunch, and he wonders how long it’ll take for Ryeowook to leave him once he’s tired of being Kyuhyun’s friend.

 

Kyuhyun hides his thoughts and follows the rest as they move to watch Ryeowook blow the candles out on his cake.

 

He’ll have to make do with the present; he’ll worry about the future later.

 

 

 

 

Kyuhyun shouldn’t be this upset, it’s not like they were moving away.

 

They were just graduating to the bigger school down the road from their school now.

 

But still, his eyes kept pinching with tears that he had to quickly hide.

 

An arm drapes itself around his shoulders and drags him close. “Aww, is my maknae going to miss me?” Donghae teases, his recent growth spurt making it so he’s towering over Kyuhyun slightly.

 

Kyuhyun pushes at the insufferable male’s body to get out of the hug, his cheeks burning. “These are tears of relief,” he lies, and Donghae squeezes him harder, causing him to squeal.

 

“You’ll be joining us soon,” Donghae assures as he loosens his hold, and Kyuhyun huffs slightly, finally accepting the hug as they walk around the school hall where the other kids and their families are celebrating the day.

 

They spy Hyukjae, unable to miss his skinny frame, and Donghae tightens his hold on Kyuhyun as a group of now middle school students shove past them in their excitement.

 

“Aren’t you nervous? Kyuhyun asks softly, watching as Hyukjae tries to fight of his older sister’s affection.

 

Donghae shrugs. “It’s only middle school; I’ll worry when I get to high school.”

 

Kyuhyun nods. “True...”

 

Donghae peeks down at him, grinning. “You’re totally upset, aren’t you?”

 

Kyuhyun shoves away from him. “I’m going to find Ryeowook-”

 

“Kyu!” Hyukjae bellows, stopping him from escaping and drawing attention to them as he runs over to them.

 

Kyuhyun fights off the hug, but surrenders when Hyukjae starts to whine he won’t be able to do this anymore after today.

 

“We can still hang out after school,” Donghae points out, and both Kyuhyun and Hyukjae glare at him for different reasons.

 

“You’re going to be so bored now that we’ll be gone,” Hyukjae grins, proud of that statement.

 

Kyuhyun scoffs. “More like me and Wook can finally have some peace.”

 

Kyuhyun dodges the punch, grinning.

 

In the last couple of years, he’s actually grown to love living here, his hopes of returning back to outside of Seoul now gone since he’s content with life here.

 

He’s befriended these two idiots, and Hyukjae is right – though Kyuhyun will never admit it to them, he will miss them at school.

 

He just has to wait a year and a half, and he and Wook will be joining them again.

 

 

 

 

Kyuhyun’s graduating to middle school today.

 

He stares at the strange faces passing him as he follows his mother.

 

But he’s starting it back where he came from.

 

He’s been brought back to his past.

 

He’s left behind his friends and the home he finally grew to accept.

 

“We always said you’ll be coming back,” his mother sighs, trying to make him see sense.

 

“I was fine where we were,” he stonily says back. “I was settled.”

 

Kyuhyun’s mother looks guilty as he shoves past her, not needing her to lead him anymore.

 

It’s not like he hasn’t done this before.

 

 

 

 

As the years pass, Kyuhyun struggles to keep in contact with his friends in Seoul.

 

In order to fill in the void they had left, he’s thrown himself into school work and afterschool clubs, making sure he won’t have a spare moment outside of school where the loneliness waiting for him will hit him. 

 

By the time he hits fifteen, he’s positive Ryeowook, Hyukjae, and Donghae have forgotten about him.

 

He’s almost forgotten them himself.

 

As he gets ready to do the high school entrance exams, Kyuhyun is given a choice by his parents.

 

He can stay here, or he can move back to where they had uprooted him three years ago.

 

Seeing the guilt in their eyes that still shows, Kyuhyun struggles to make a decision.

 

If he were to go back, he would be returning back to Seoul alone, living with his mother’s brother since his parents business was flourishing here.

 

His sister was already done with high school now, about to start her college life in Busan, so if she could live away from her home and family, then he could, right?

 

If he stayed here, he would have to give up on any hope of the friends he had left behind and make an effort here to live properly without his nose constantly stuck in book.

 

Looking down at the admission forms, Kyuhyun grabs his pen and brings one to him.

 

As he starts to fill it in, his chest loosens slightly with his decision.

 

Form filled, all he needs to do now is pass the exams.

 

Kyuhyun feels more nervous of passing than failing.

 

 

 

 

He didn’t recognise anyone in the hall, and he _was_ looking for any signs of familiar faces.

 

As the induction day continues with the Head explaining more about their new school and environment, Kyuhyun gives up on his search and forces himself to pay attention.

 

After the hour long assembly, Kyuhyun follows the crowd as he searches for his new homeroom again, having only just found it the once earlier this morning.

 

As he walks down the corridor, he tries hard not to shrink in on himself as he listens to the sounds of others greeting others who they know and are familiar with.

 

As he enters his classroom and heads for his desk near the front, Kyuhyun sighs and glances around him as a few others talk in small groups, excited at being high school students now.

 

It was strange to be back in Seoul now, but he had prepared himself for this, for the loneliness.

 

He just...he had hoped he would at least find Ryeowook’s face amongst the other fresh year students.

 

 

 

It takes just three days for Kyuhyun to wish he never even bothered in coming back here.

 

He was lonely, unable to shake off his mood of not being able to find his old friends in the high school they should be attending.

 

He’s scoured every inch of the school, but either he’s completely forgotten the looks of his old friends, or they don’t attend this school at all.

 

Donghae and Hyukjae will be in their final year now, so they may not be as present in school all the time, but Ryeowook had always said he would attend this high school since it was closest to his neighbourhood.

 

Then again, it _has_ been three years. Anything could have happened.

 

Sitting by himself in the lunch hall again, Kyuhyun immerses himself in the book they were currently starting to discuss in his literature class.

 

As he idly eats, eyes focused on the text he’s reading, the loudness in the hall grows a little from the bearable background noise he had been putting up with.

 

Glancing up with a scowl on his face, he searches in the direction the ruckus is coming.

 

He drops his chopsticks at seeing who was causing the ruckus.

 

It’s been three years, but he’ll recognise that face anywhere.

 

He watches as Donghae and a few other lads roar with laughter, oblivious to how loud they’re being as they all become more and more boisterous. Donghae hasn’t changed much, his hair is longer and tad lighter than it had been in middle school, his smile still the same as he shoves at one of the males, causing the other to lose their balance and fall off their seat, causing them all to cry out with laughter as Donghae struggles to help and laugh at the same time.

 

Kyuhyun finds himself smiling too and carefully looks to spy Hyukjae at the table.

 

He frowns when he fails to see him.

 

“They were always together, though,” he comments to himself softly, straining to see them better over the other tables without having to get up.

 

He ducks his head to avoid being caught looking as Donghae looks out over the hall, and instantly berates himself for hiding when he’s been in a mood the last couple of days because he couldn’t find them.

 

Kyuhyun peeks to see if Donghae’s still looking and feels himself sag slightly at seeing the group getting up to leave.

 

He watches as Donghae and his friends leave the hall, taking their loudness with them, and sighs softly. He should have at least allowed Donghae the off chance of seeing him, but he chickened out and was now sour about it.

 

An idea suddenly floors him, and Kyuhyun hastily grabs his bag and book and nearly trips in his haste to follow the group before he can chicken out again.

 

As he shoves his book into his bag, Kyuhyun keeps his head down as he follows, keeping a bit of distance between the slow-moving group as they round the corner, heading to the lockers that led out into the courtyard.

 

Kyuhyun peeks around the corner, heart in his mouth, and sees them all putting their outdoor shoes on whilst a few rummaged through their lockers still.

 

Donghae was putting his shoes on, smiling at something one of the lad’s was saying to him, and Kyuhyun bit his lip as warring emotions fluttered in his tummy.

 

He’s dying to know if Donghae recognises him, but he’s also terrified of the rowdy group to approach them.

 

Kyuhyun tugs at the tie of his uniform, feeling he can’t breathe as Donghae stands up, ready to leave.

 

As the doors to the lockers slam shut, Kyuhyun finds himself moving forward, around the corner.

 

He ducks his head to hide his face with his long mop of hair that was slightly wavy due to humidity in the air, and takes his time walking to the lockers, almost hugging his bag to him.

 

“Are you skiving?” one of the lad’s questions to someone as Kyuhyun shuffles closer, able to pick up their conversation now.

 

Kyuhyun peeks through his bangs to see Donghae shrug as he rolls up the sleeves of his uniform further up his arms. “Should really at least give it a full week before I start missing classes,” Donghae says, and Kyuhyun jerks at the slight change in the older male’s voice.

 

He sounds so much more mature now, reflecting his age. Kyuhyun was used to his soft-spoken hyung, not this.

 

Kyuhyun also doesn’t like the fact that Donghae frequently skips classes. The Donghae he had grown to know years ago would literally cry with fear of being caught skipping _anything_.

 

Kyuhyun swallows, heart racing as he approaches the locker area, heading for his own which allowed him to have his back to them.

 

Kyuhyun felt a slight hush come over the group at his presence and he busies himself with opening his locker.

 

Kyuhyun shakes the handle, trying to tug it open, only for it to continue to stick.

 

Kyuhyun hears someone snigger behind him and it causes a wave of heat to creep up his neck in embarrassment as he continues to struggle, dropping his bag in the process.

 

He ducks down into crouch to pick it up and freezes when he realizes he’s missed the sound of someone approaching him.

 

Kyuhyun doesn’t dare look as he spies the legs, doesn’t dare to even breathe as he hears the click of his locker being opened with force.

 

“Sometimes force is needed,” he hears Donghae tell him softly, and Kyuhyun _can’t_ breathe.

 

He uses his bag to hide most of his face as he quickly rises, almost hitting Donghae due to his sudden action, causing the male to step back in surprise.

 

Kyuhyun bows low from the waist in thanks and Donghae laughs. “You’re a freshman, right?”

 

Kyuhyun nods, still bowed over, staring down at Donghae’s shoes.

 

He feels a light prod to his back, and Kyuhyun peeks, using his bag to hide still as he looks up in question.

 

Donghae grins at him as Kyuhyun slowly rises. “Remember what I said,” Donghae says as one of the lads from the group calls out for him to hurry up.

 

Kyuhyun nods stiffly, gripping his bag tighter as Donghae raps his knuckle against the open locker pointedly before leaving him, leading the group outside.

 

Kyuhyun sags against the lockers, his heart in his mouth.

 

He was at least relieved to know that Donghae was still kind, but Kyuhyun was a little hurt that the male hadn’t showed any sign of maybe recognising him.

 

Not that he had helped much with that by hiding his face and not saying a word.

 

Kyuhyun bangs his head against the locker, groaning loudly.

 

He was a coward.

 

An absolute coward.

 

 

 

It’s not until the next week that he finally finds Ryeowook.

 

He should have known that the other male would have taken this club.

 

Ryeowook gawks at him, the book of music sheets falling from his loose hands as Kyuhyun shifts slightly.

 

“Attractive expression,” Kyuhyun teases from where he’s standing at one of the many keyboards in the music room.

 

“K-Kyuhyun?” Ryeowook stutters, moving over to him slowly, expression still in disbelief.

 

Kyuhyun grins slowly. “Hi Wook.”

 

Ryeowook launches himself at Kyuhyun, and Kyuhyun stumbles and almost sits on the keyboard as Ryeowook hugs him tightly, speaking far too fast for him to understand.

 

He gets a harsh slap to the back of his head, and he understands what the slightly older male is saying.

 

Kyuhyun can’t stop grinning, ignoring the curious looks from their peers as he hugs his old friend tightly too.

 

“I’m back now,” he assures as Ryeowook continues to rant in his ear about him leaving without saying goodbye. “I’m staying in Seoul.”

 

Ryeowook sags against him, causing Kyuhyun to fall onto the keyboard, it screaming out notes from their weight as he laughs from Ryeowook’s muttered words.

 

At least Ryeowook missed him. Kyuhyun couldn’t stop grinning, his tummy fluttering with happiness as Ryeowook takes the spare keyboard next to Kyuhyun’s, forcing Kyuhyun to sit down and explain everything before their piano teacher comes.

 

Kyuhyun rolls his eyes at Ryeowook’s demanding nature still going strong.

 

Throughout the lesson, instead of focusing on the basics of playing a simple melody on their keyboards, Kyuhyun and Ryeowook are too focused on each other, whispering to each other.

 

They get warned about their lack of focus, and Kyuhyun feels at home again for the first time since...in a long time.

 

He and Ryeowook snigger, their old habits with each other still present, and still getting them into bother in a classroom.

 

Kyuhyun’s got his friend back.

 

 

 

Honestly, he had expected that once he and Ryeowook reconnected again that rekindling his friendship with Donghae and Hyukjae would happen straight after.

 

Apparently, that’s not going to be the case.

 

“We fell out like...last year?” Ryeowook tells him as they wait for Kyuhyun’s bus to come.

 

Kyuhyun frowns. “How come?”

 

Ryeowook sighs, leaning back to sit against the bus shelter wall. “Fell out is probably the wrong phrase to use. I guess we just naturally split apart? I was still in middle school; they’re nearing the end of their high school life. It probably felt weird for them for a fifteen year old to hang around them all the time.”

 

“But...you’ve been friends with them ever since you were kids,” Kyuhyun points out, still unable to accept the news.

 

Ryeowook shrugs. “These things happen.”

 

Kyuhyun chews on his bottom lip, slightly distressed at the news. Ryeowook had been cherished by those two, he was their maknae, so to hear that they no longer spoke to each made Kyuhyun’s chest tighten.

 

“Do they know you’re at the same school now?” Kyuhyun questions curiously.

 

Ryeowook nods. “I saw them on the first day.”

 

“But did they see _you_?”

 

Ryeowook shrugs again. “Probably.”

 

Kyuhyun shakes his head at the lack of care the male has now for the two people he had considered to be his best friends.

 

Maybe things could be different now that Ryeowook was in high school...though Donghae and Hyukjae were graduating this academic year.

 

Kyuhyun sees his bus coming and stands up, drawing Ryeowook’s attention. “You should say hello next time,” Kyuhyun suggests carefully. “You don’t need to blank their existence.”

 

“Says the person who vanished and never once got in contact with us.”

 

Kyuhyun swallows the lump of guilt and knows not to push this topic anymore.

 

As Ryeowook bids him goodbye as the bus pulls up, promising to meet Kyuhyun tomorrow at school, Kyuhyun waved goodbye and boards the bus.

 

As he pulls away and watches Ryeowook disappear from his sight, Kyuhyun can’t help but think something else may have happened for those three to fall out.

 

Ryeowook and Hyukjae have always bickered and fell out with each other, but they always got over it, and Ryeowook hardly ever fought with Donghae. It just felt unnatural to know that their friendship was over with.

 

He’ll have to tread carefully though, he doesn’t want to anger Ryeowook, not when he’s just found him again.

 

 

 

Since they’re not in the same class, the only times he and Ryeowook could meet were during breaks, lunch, and their afterschool club. But it doesn’t take them long to fall into their friendship again, and Kyuhyun’s glad because other than Ryeowook, he had no one else.

 

“Of course you would be in the top class.” Ryeowook continues to gripe about Kyuhyun’s class during their lunch. “What did you do in middle school, study through it all?”

 

“Pretty much,” Kyuhyun laughs, amused. “I had nothing better to do.”

 

“Didn’t you make friends?” Ryeowook questions and Kyuhyun shakes his head, causing Ryeowook to scoff, not believing him. “Really?”

 

“Really,” Kyuhyun assures. “I preferred my own company.”

 

“You needed a buddy system, that’s what,” Ryeowook comments, stuffing his mouth with rice.

 

Kyuhyun rolls his eye at the slight dig and continues to poke at his food, not really hungry, which naturally starts Ryeowook to nag him to eat the food. As they start to bicker, Kyuhyun breaks off at hearing the sound of Donghae’s laughter coming into the hall.

 

Looking up, he sees Donghae and his group of friends coming in.

 

“Urgh, great,” Ryeowook mumbles under his breath, causing Kyuhyun to frown at him.

 

Kyuhyun looks back to see the group join the line to buy their food and frowns harder at realising something.

 

He has yet to see Hyukjae.

 

“Didn’t Hae and Hyuk used to be attached to the hip?” Kyuhyun comments lightly, watching as the boys joke on with each other.

 

“Who cares.”

 

Kyuhyun elbows Ryeowook for his attitude. “I do,” he hisses. “It doesn’t feel right. Not one bit.”

 

“Yeah well, get used to it, Kyuhyun.” Ryeowook states coldly and stands up, causing Kyuhyun to grab for him to sit back down.

 

Ryeowook shrugs him off and says he’ll catch Kyuhyun later at piano club and leaves the hall, his lunch half eaten.

 

Kyuhyun sags back in his chair and kicks himself at his slip up.

 

As he shoves his lunch away from him, he glances up when the loud group nears and Kyuhyun panics, glancing around him to see the only spare table was the one opposite his.

 

Heart launching up into his mouth, Kyuhyun scrambles to get his things to escape before they get near, and squeaks in surprise when someone suddenly sits down next to him.

 

“Kyuhyun, right?” the unknown male states confidently, and Kyuhyun blinks at him as he nods hesitantly.

 

The male grins. “We’re in the same class, I’m Shim Changmin-”

 

Kyuhyun nods politely, not listening to the male as he hastily stands, throwing his bag over his shoulder and almost stumbling over his chair leg.

 

Changmin grabs his elbow to steady him, standing too as he tries to stop Kyuhyun. “Wait, you’re coming, right?” he quickly says, causing Kyuhyun to pause, his back to the approaching group.

 

“Coming?” Kyuhyun repeats, confused.

 

“For the cleaning,” Changmin reminds him, the rota in their classroom being finalised today on which students would clean on which days. “You didn’t give me a chance to ask you in class before lunch.”

 

Kyuhyun hears the group go past and tenses as they sit down at the empty table, angling himself so his face his hidden.

 

Changmin notices it and frowns. “Are....are you-?”

 

“I’m still staying behind,” Kyuhyun hisses quietly, moving to leave, but Changmin’s grip on him prevents him.

 

Kyuhyun tenses automatically at Donghae shouting for someone to sit down, and Changmin glances at the rowdy group as Kyuhyun wrestles his elbow free.

 

Without another word, Kyuhyun hurries from the situation, taking care to hide his face.

 

Once away from the lunch hall, Kyuhyun sags against a corridor wall, his face flushed and his heart racing still.

 

Why is he so scared to allow Donghae to see him?

 

Kyuhyun puffs out a breath, and hangs his head as he tries to calm down.

 

“Hyuk!”

 

And he immediately tenses up, almost smacking his head off the wall as he jerks to look up at the shout.

 

Kyuhyun splutters and crouches immediately to pretend to sort out his sock as a boy runs past him.

 

Peeking through his hair, he sees Hyukjae at the bottom of the corridor near the lockers, waiting as he changes his shoes.

 

Kyuhyun finds himself staring at the male.

 

He’s.....not scrawny no more.

 

His hair was cut a lot shorter, shaved at the sides with a decent length on top, and it made Kyuhyun flounder slightly because Hyukjae _hated_ having short hair three years ago.

 

Now here he was, sporting a styled look with a new slender, but not scrawny, physique.

 

Kyuhyun hurries away up the stairs before they can head towards him, taking two steps at a time.

 

He collapses on his floor his classroom is located, panting and sweating.

 

So...now he just needs to build to courage to speak to them and he can stop this stealth business going on.

 

Kyuhyun presses a cheek to the cold floor.

 

He needs to do it soon because he’s _so_ not fit for this.

 

 

 

 

“Guess who I saw today.”

 

Hyukjae shrugs his shoulders, not the least bit interested as he listens to their history teacher drone on.

 

“Wookie.”

 

A flash of something rushes through him at the younger male’s name. He glances at Donghae, who’s desk was next to his, and raises an eyebrow “And?”

 

Donghae gives him an annoyed look. “Shouldn’t we at least-”

 

“Lee Donghae, can you explain back to me what I’ve just been lecturing to the class?” their teacher butts in, causing Hyukjae to grin smugly as Donghae turns red, rising as he’s forced to face his consequence of talking during class.

 

As Donghae tries to make up a bullshit explanation, Hyukjae gazes out of the window, wanting this lesson to be over with.

 

The first years are outside having physical education, and Hyukjae feels nothing but sympathy for them since today was scorching hot and they were forced to run laps around the huge field.

 

He can’t make out any of their faces due to the distance, but he can bet they’re dying from the heat.

 

Something smacks down suddenly on his desk, startling him from his gazing, and he looks to see their pissed teacher staring down at him.

 

“Your turn,” the older male growls out, and Hyukjae hears the sounds of his friends snigger slightly as he gawps at the male.

 

A quick glance over at Donghae shows the male looking smug, enjoying Hyukjae’s moment of torture now he’s over his.

 

Hyukjae stands and accepts the lecture from the pissy male, all the while counting down the seconds to the end of class.

 

 

 

Kyuhyun is _dying_.

 

His thighs are tight and shaking with the exercise he’s being forced to do, his t-shirt is sticking to his back with his sweat from blistering heat and this torture, and Kyuhyun’s mop of hair was getting on his nerves now, his sweaty bangs constantly getting in his eyes and causing him to flick his head irritably to get them out of his vision.

 

He should have asked one of the girls for a hair tie.

 

As he forces his legs through sheer will to get him past the halfway mark, Kyuhyun eyes the school building with desperate need, his goal to finish the lap and escape back inside the cool building taunting him.

 

His class and two others had been merged together for today’s lesson, which meant he was able to be with Ryeowook for once during class time. But, the male had left Kyuhyun’s ass about fifteen minutes ago during their final lap, desperate to be finished.

 

Kyuhyun had tried to keep up with the male’s speed, but lagged behind, figuring that his pride isn’t worth him having a heart attack.

 

He spies his cheeky friend at the finish line, waving and taunting him with insults to spur him on.

 

“All that studying has killed your muscles!”

 

Kyuhyun ignores that one, concentrating on his breathing and the burn in his side.

 

“If I had a book in my hands, that would make you run faster, right?!”

 

Kyuhyun hisses, pushing himself as Ryeowook grins, lounging on the grass, beckoning him to hurry up.

 

He hears a girl giggle as she passes him and Kyuhyun’s face burns more with the need to shut Ryeowook’s mouth as the male continues to aggravate him.

 

Ryeowook’s aggravation works, Kyuhyun ends up sprinting the last length, bypassing the finish line to throttle a cackling Ryeowook.

 

As their teacher calls out his time, Kyuhyun continues to hit and roll around the hot grass with Ryeowook, determined to have his own back as Ryeowook screams at how sweaty and sticky he is.

 

As their teacher calls an end to their class just as the bell rings from the school to signal lunch, Kyuhyun can’t even get up off the ground as his legs refuse to be more than jelly.

 

Ryeowook ends up having to half drag him half carry him to the school, all the while complaining how unfit Kyuhyun is.

 

Kyuhyun shakes his sweaty hair in the male’s face and cackles as Ryeowook makes a fuss and drops him to the ground.

 

Changmin passes them and he sends Kyuhyun a polite friendly smile that Kyuhyun returns. They were familiar with each other now that the week has passed.

 

When Ryeowook moves to abandon him, Kyuhyun reaches out and grabs the male’s shorts to stop him.

 

He ends up, _accidently,_ tugging them down.

 

Well, Kyuhyun breaks at that, dying from laughing too hard as Ryeowook lets out a mortified screech.

 

As Ryeowook threatens to stamp on his face if he doesn’t shut up and get up, Kyuhyun nearly cries as he catches a glimpse of Ryeowook’s bright red face.

 

They spend five minutes ruthlessly bickering as Ryeowook tries to get Kyuhyun to stand up without flopping back down.

 

They both end up in a giggling mess from Kyuhyun’s useless exhausted legs and Ryeowook’s clothing mishap.

 

 

 

Hyukjae breathes in deeply, enjoying the heat of the sun on his face as they step outside, free from their class.

 

“Are you leaving now?” his friend questions curiously, and Hyukjae nods as they walk down the steps leading into the courtyard.

 

“It’s only English after lunch,” Hyukjae justifies.

 

As they walk across the yard, the sound of hysterical laughter reaches their ears, causing them to turn to look at the school field.

 

“First years gone mad due to the heat?” his friend questions with a laugh as they watch a few of them trek back into the gymnasium to change.

 

“More like the exercise has fried their brains as well,” Hyukjae chuckles, continuing to watch them. “You know how ruthless Mr Kang can be.”

 

His friend agrees, and Hyukjae tenses slightly at catching sight of Ryeowook.

 

He watches as the male and another laugh and carry on with each other, the sounds of their laughter carrying over to him.

 

“Those two look like they’re utterly mad,” his friend sniggers, watching as both of them fall down onto the grass, Ryeowook shoving the male from him in a loud curse as the other shakes on the ground with laughter.

 

His friend says something else, but Hyukjae doesn’t hear it as he catches a glimpse of the other lad’s face.

 

Hyukjae exhales slowly, shocked.

 

As the male stands back up, Hyukjae turns his back to them and hurries away, causing his friend to stumble after him in surprise.

 

“I thought you were leaving?!” His friend calls after him as he jogs back up the school’s stone steps.

 

“I need to tell Donghae!” he shouts back and hastily shoves off his shoes, shoving them into his locker before leaving the male behind as he starts to track down Donghae.

 

He finds him in the hall, sitting at a table as they wait for the line to go down.

 

“I thought you were skipping?” Donghae says in confusion when he sees Hyukjae coming over to them.

 

Hyukjae grabs a spare chair from another table and drags it to sit next to the male.

 

Donghae stares at him. “Well?”

 

Hyukjae leans close and whispers, “I saw Ryeowook.”

 

Donghae gives him an annoyed look. “So you ran away?”

 

Hyukjae jabs him in his side, ordering their friends to go get lunch. As Donghae hisses, glowering at him, Hyukjae waists until they’re alone, cutting over Donghae’s mini rant under his breath. “He has a friend.”

 

“So?”

 

“So...we have no reason to approach him.”

 

Donghae gives him a murderous look, shoving his shoulder harshly to put space between them. “All of this happened because of _you_ ,” he hisses the reminder, and Hyukjae feels himself stiffen in defence. “You promised we’d look after him once he got here.”

 

“He looks settled,” Hyukjae defends through gritted teeth. “What’s the point in us getting involved when we’re leaving in a year?”

 

Donghae shoves at him as he stands. “You’re such a dick, Hyukjae.”

 

Hyukjae doesn’t look as the male storms away from him, but he does sag a little.

 

But he stands by his choice; it’s too late to rectify things now.

 

The time window to do so shut months ago.

 

 

 

“Tell your mother she’s a great cook,” Kyuhyun says as he inhales the kimbap roll.

 

“I made it,” Ryeowook sniffs, but he’s pleased as he watches Kyuhyun devour the packed lunch he had made for him as well.

 

Kyuhyun gives him a thumbs up. “So good~” he moans in delight.

 

“Is your uncle’s cooking that bad?” Ryeowook laughs, biting into his own.

 

Kyuhyun nods, swallowing. “It’s gotten to the point where he won’t bother anymore and we just order in.”

 

“That’s not healthy!” Ryeowook growls out around his mouthful, kicking at Kyuhyun as he sniggers.

 

“It’s only while he learns how to cook,” Kyuhyun reassures, giggling at the look on Ryeowook’s face.

 

“I’ll make you more packed lunches,” Ryeowook promises and cuts Kyuhyun off as he starts to protest, “this isn’t up for discussion!”

 

Kyuhyun glares at him, cheeks stuffed with food.

 

“You’re secretly pleased so drop the act,” Ryeowook says as he pokes a cheek, causing Kyuhyun to almost choke.

 

As Kyuhyun whines at him with his mouth full, Ryeowook spies Hyukjae leaving the school building, jogging down the steps, his expression troubled.

 

Ryeowook watches him, and doesn’t even drop his gaze when the older male glances over to them from where they’re sitting in the shade.

 

Kyuhyun’s back is to Hyukjae, so he doesn’t see him and Hyukjae doesn’t see it’s Kyuhyun who Ryeowook is sitting with.

 

Ryeowook raises his eyebrow slightly at the long stare the male gives them, and Hyukjae breaks eye contact and starts to lightly jog to the school gates, skipping school by the looks of it.

 

Kyuhyun looks over his shoulder. “Who are you staring at?”

 

Ryeowook watches as Hyukjae’s back disappears.

 

“No one.”

 

 

 

 

As the weeks crawl on by, Kyuhyun is finding himself feeling more at home. His friendship with Ryeowook is growing stronger and stronger, and his new budding friendship with Changmin is also flourishing. The three of them get along alright, though Changmin seems to be a tad shy when Ryeowook is around.

 

Things are doing okay.

 

“Heads up!”

 

Except from the fact he’s still hiding.

 

Kyuhyun hears something bounce off the lockers behind him as he buries his face deep into his locker, hiding as Donghae’s laughter draws closer.

 

As the group drifts by him, Kyuhyun sags against his locker, peeking around it to watch their backs.

 

Hyukjae is with them this time, he’s been with them a lot more lately, so it sort of reassured Kyuhyun that he and Donghae were still friends.

 

As Hyukjae glances over his shoulder, Kyuhyun smacks his face into his locker door as he quickly hides.

 

He cusses under his breath, cradling his nose as he berates himself.

 

He _will_ approach them.

 

 

 

Just...not yet.

 

 

 

Kyuhyun stares at the notice board, a pool of dread filling him.

 

He feels someone come up behind him. “Competition?” Changmin echoes his thoughts, curious as he reads over Kyuhyun’s shoulder.

 

“I thought school trips didn’t happen anymore once you hit high school,” Kyuhyun whines a little, not happy.

 

“It’s only for Halloween,” Changmin continues to read. “Huh, it sounds fun! A challenge for each grade to produce a scary event for Halloween in order to win a prize.”

 

Kyuhyun doesn’t do scary. “Halloween isn’t really a holiday we celebrate though.”

 

Changmin shrugs. “Probably why they want to do something different, it gets the students working creatively and makes them bond, so it will lessen conflict between classes and different grades.”

 

“More like free labour so they can cash in on it,” Kyuhyun nods, pointing to the small print that states the invited public will also be able to participate in their events.

 

Changmin snorts. “Typical.”

 

As the bell rings to signal the start of class, Kyuhyun hurries for his desk, but ends up staring at the poster still, chewing on his lip.

 

As their class rep stands up at front after taking attendance, she explains the upcoming competition.

 

“Since it will be against the other two grades, each class within the 10th grade will come up with ideas and we’ll have a meeting to decide which ideas are most favourable and incorporate them into our event as a year group.”

 

Kyuhyun chews his lip harder.

 

“The results of which grade chosen as winner will be determined by school staff and also the invited public at the end of the Halloween.”

 

Well...at least this means he can work with Ryeowook.

 

And also possibly face Hyukjae and Donghae.

 

Kyuhyun tastes blood but ignores it as a nervous bubbling feeling erupts in his tummy at the mere thought.

 

The next few weeks pass in a blur. The different grades have decided on their events for Halloween and have just over two weeks left to gather supplies and prepare to transform the school on that day for their scarefest.

 

The 10th graders have decided on your typical treasure trail with jump scares at every turn, the 11th graders are going to be working against the 10th graders to prevent their teams from successfully scaring the poor people doing the treasure trails and both are basically going to try an outdo each other in terms of scaring people, and the 12th graders have yet to submit their event.

 

Apparently, they were allowed to keep it quiet since they’re older and will be doing their event last anyway.

 

Kyuhyun and a few others thought it was unfair, but one look from the seniors had shut them up.

 

Kyuhyun was just glad he wouldn’t have to see his old friends any time soon as his grade works hard to prepare costumes and traps.

 

As Halloween creeps closer, Kyuhyun has to admit that the school’s plan to get the grades working harmoniously together has worked.

 

But let’s see what kind of carnage happens on Halloween.

 

 

 

“You guys ready?” their leader of the group whispers, excited and in full costume.

 

Tonight was the night, the school was transformed into a true spooky and creepy place, and Kyuhyun had been asked – along with a few others from the piano club – to create the atmosphere along with the other musical clubs.

 

It meant he was free from having to scare people or be scared himself.

 

As the sound of students, friends, and family come closer, Kyuhyun places his hood over his head, causing it to hang on him and hide his face with shadow as he slowly begins the first slow eerie keys on the piano.

 

He listens as groups come and go, building the atmosphere so that their music and sound effects can be heard over the tannoy system.

 

When the first lot of screams can be heard, Kyuhyun smirks and continues on with the eerie music.

 

 

 

He thought he was safe.

 

Boy was he wrong.

 

Kyuhyun huddles closer to Changmin, not liking how they’ve managed to get themselves separated from their own group.

 

“How can we be lost?!” Kyuhyun hisses as they use a glow stick as their only source of light.

 

“The frigging corridors all look the same!” Changmin defends, holding his own glow stick out further to see what’s down the corridor they’re slowly creeping down.

 

They had gotten spooked and the group naturally fled in different directions, meaning Ryeowook was probably alone since there wasn’t that many of them in their group to begin with.

 

So that _sort of_ cheers him up.

 

Kyuhyun swallows, his heart thumping hard against his ribcage as he takes tiny little steps. The 12th graders event was so much better and they haven’t even revealed themselves yet.

 

Just then, a cracking sound comes over the tannoy system.

 

“This better be them explaining what the event is about,” they both grumble and promptly freeze in their tracks at the horrible creepy moan that comes through the speakers.

 

Every hair on Kyuhyun’s body stands on end, barely able to catch his breath as the moan turns guttural. “I-is that a-a zombie?”

 

“Zombies don’t ex-”

 

Both of them scream when a loud thud echoes from behind them, and without thinking, they run.

 

And as they run, the soundtrack of moans and groans fill the school, chasing after them.

 

As they race to the staircase, they see their 12th graders coming from the floor below, their entrance to the event chilling them both, seeing them dressed as zombies, making loud and frighteningly moans to go along with their slow climb.

 

“Zombies are slow, right?” Kyuhyun rushes out as they back away from the banister.

 

“D-depends,” Changmin stutters out.

 

“On what?”

 

“On which source they’re using to play them.”

 

A loud and awful screech erupts from the staircase and then the fast sound of running feet.

 

Changmin runs, leaving Kyuhyun staring at the staircase as his mind does blank with fear.

 

When he sees two heads appear as they race up the stairs, his instinct to flee finally kicks in and he races back the way he came, trying to block out the horrific noise as he hears them follow him, the sound of his panicked breathing and running alerting them.

 

Hearing over the sounds of pursuit, someone on the tannoy system says in a frantic voice that in order to survive you need to get outside of the school gates to the safe zone.

 

Failure in doing so, you ‘die’.

 

Kyuhyun screams as he slams the door behind him, blocking the ‘zombies’ and flinching away as they slam into it as he races for the other door leading back out into the corridor as he races from them, back to the stairs to follow Changmin.

 

He easily dodges the few slow zombies on the landing of the stairwell, squeaking with fright as they grab at him, and sprints down the other corridor, heading for the other staircase on the other end of the school.

 

He can safely say the 12th graders have won this.

 

 

 

“There are: 10 survivors out of 25 in the safe zone now.”

 

Donghae grins, taking a long drink from the cold water bottle. Hyukjae sniggers, panting too as they both catch their breath.

 

“How much longer do we have?” Hyukjae pants and Donghae hands him the water bottle to check the timer in his pocket.

 

“Fifteen minutes,” he whispers and hushes quickly, hearing someone slowly come down the staircase where he and Hyukjae were waiting, catching their breath from their latest catch.

 

The previous poor lad was so scared when Donghae and Hyukjae had chased after him, and he nearly sobbed when they caught him, begging to stop the game. They had to calm the 10th grader down, whispering he could stop playing the game now as they escorted him to the classroom for those captured.

 

Hyukjae silently puts the bottle down on the floor and they both creep along the wall, using the shadows due to the moonlight coming in from the stair’s window.

 

Donghae allows Hyukjae to go in front, his body slimmer and less likely to be seen than his own broad one.

 

Hyukjae holds up one finger, and Donghae grins, reading himself for the chase.

 

 

 

Kyuhyun’s legs are shaking with the effort of creeping down the stairs slowly without making a sound, hand clutching the rail as his other is held out a little as he scans the bottom floor slowly.

 

It’s taken him what feels like forever at being able to get this far, constantly hiding and running from the 12th graders. He knows they’re also outside, he seen a few people run for the school gates, screaming as a few fast zombies chase after them.

 

He’s prepared for the outside part; he just needs to get there.

 

Swallowing and shaking his sweaty fringe out of his eyes, Kyuhyun crouches lower as he steps onto the floor, easing slowly off the stairs, but also prepared to race back up them if something comes running at him.

 

He prays nothing does.

 

His glow stick is starting to dim slightly, the green light hardly helping light his way now as he uses his hand as a guide against the wall to turn into the corridor which would lead to the lockers.

 

At seeing nothing but darkness at the end, Kyuhyun grips his glow stick tighter and slowly creeps down.

 

After a minute, a prickling feeling at the back of his neck makes him pause, feeling a slight breeze join it.

 

Heart starting to thump hard again, stomach churning, he slowly turns his body, glow stick lighting the way, to look behind him.

 

The first thing he sees is red bloodshot eyes on a perfectly gnarled disgusting face.

 

Kyuhyun sucks in a shocked and frightened breath and stumbles backwards from the zombie, praying it’s a slow one and that he can outrun it as he catches himself on the wall, but his light picks up another standing a little way behind it, watching, and Kyuhyun’s skin erupts with pimples as both make a horrible sound that will give him nightmares for the next coming weeks.

 

As the one behind the other moves forward, Kyuhyun runs.

 

At hearing the fast footfalls chasing him, Kyuhyun cries out as he feels them get closer, close to tears almost as the sounds finally get to him.

 

But another zombie appears, his shaking light catching it in time as it aimlessly walks around the lockers, on patrol.

 

So he shoulders open a random door and slams it shut, back pressed against it as he feels the other two push against it.

 

Then he sees his salvation – an open window.

 

 

 

Hyukjae grabs at Donghae and pushes him back, away from the door.

 

“What are you doing?!” the male hisses. “Help me!”

 

Hyukjae knows the person they’re chasing is Kyuhyun; the pause he had taken to take them both in was long enough for Hyukjae to make out his face due to the crappy lighting.

 

“He’s stuck in there,” Hyukjae tries to reason. “Lure him out.”

 

Donghae scoffs and slips from Hyukjae’s grip and shoves himself at the door.

 

Donghae yelps as he unexpectedly follows the door, causing Hyukjae to catch him quickly, both looking around the room for him.

 

“Where did-”

 

Hyukjae dumbly points at the window. “There.”

 

Donghae’s running even before Hyukjae can register the thought that Kyuhyun has managed to escape.

 

He finds himself grinning as he follows Donghae, who is cursing, through the window.

 

They see the shaking light of Kyuhyun’s glow stick in the darkness, and both of them sprint off, determined to stop him from getting to the safe point.

 

Hyukjae is the fastest out of them both, so when he starts to overtake Donghae, he knows this is his chance.

 

Both of them still acting their roles, their voices slice through the silent night air, and Kyuhyun’s light turns to shine at them.

 

At seeing just how quick and close they were able to get to him, he falls.

 

Hyukjae races forward, and as Kyuhyun tries to get back up, he tackles him.

 

Surprisingly, Kyuhyun doesn’t scream or anything, and Hyukjae briefly wonders if he was too rough.

 

As he cages the male, his fallen glow stick a little bit to the side of them, he can feel Kyuhyun shaking, his frightened panting being the only sound leaving the male.

 

Hyukjae grabs Kyuhyun’s shirt, and Kyuhyun whimpers as he leans down, the darkness only fuelling his fear as he feels Hyukjae pant against his cheek.

 

Donghae approaches them and Hyukjae makes a split second decision, to acknowledge Kyuhyun’s existence, or continue the game.

 

“P-please,” Kyuhyun suddenly whimpers, shocking Hyukjae.

 

Hyukjae makes his choice.

 

“Game over, freshman.”

 

 

 

Kyuhyun freezes at the sound of Hyukjae’s voice, heart lurching as the male tugs him up by the front of his uniform.

 

The other 12th grader approaches them, Kyuhyun’s light in his hands. “Come on, let’s-”

 

A girl screaming has them looking over back at the building as well as the sound of zombies pursuing her.

 

Kyuhyun can barely breathe due to hearing Donghae’s voice, but the male doesn’t finish speaking as he chucks the glow stick at Hyukjae to race off the stop the girl from leaving.

 

“The less people able to make it, the more points we get,” Hyukjae tells him as he prods Kyuhyun to move back to the school.

 

Kyuhyun stumbles slightly, the dark making it hard to see, but at least the girl has stopped screaming now.

 

As they walk, neither speak, Kyuhyun doesn’t even know if Hyukjae knows it’s him.

 

As they enter the school again, Kyuhyun follows Hyukjae as he leads him to the other side of the school to the art blocks. As they near a room with its lights on, Kyuhyun is able to peek at Hyukjae now they have a little extra light.

 

“Whoever did the makeup either has a twisted mind or a brilliant one,” he can’t help but comment, and Hyukjae smirks and it strangely goes with the creepy makeup.

 

“I think we’re all a little twisted to come up with this idea.”

 

Kyuhyun full heartedly agrees with that.

 

Hyukjae pauses and Kyuhyun does as well.

 

He hands Kyuhyun his glow stick back. “Just go in there and wait. The game is finishing soon.”

 

Kyuhyun nods and moves to leave him.

 

Hyukjae grabs his elbow, stopping him.

 

Kyuhyun waits, heart racing.

 

“Well played, freshman.”

 

Hyukjae lets go of his elbow and starts to walk away.

 

“Kyuhyun,” Kyuhyun calls out suddenly, unable to stop the sudden urge, tracking Hyukjae’s reaction. “My name is Kyuhyun.”

 

Hyukjae pauses.

 

“I know.”

 

And then he leaves.

 

Kyuhyun feels like crying at that.

 

 

 

Honestly, what had he even hoped for?

 

Now that Hyukjae knows his existence, and seems to not have a particular care over the fact that Kyuhyun is back, Kyuhyun can’t even meet the male’s gaze whenever he stumbles across him in the corridor.

 

Donghae, on the other hand, Kyuhyun isn’t so sure the male knows he has came close to making Kyuhyun pee with fright that night.

 

At least he wasn’t the only traumatised one; most of the other students avoided the 12th graders now like they carried the plague.

 

Ryeowook smacks the back of his head, knocking him from his thoughts. “Earth to Kyuhyun.”

 

Kyuhyun scowls at the male. “What?”

 

“You’ve been extremely quiet lately and it’s starting to grate on my nerves,” the male says, taking a bite of his meal, and Changmin nods in agreement.

 

“Halloween was last week and you still look like you’re recovering,” Changmin comments, amused.

 

Kyuhyun’s cheeks warm slightly. “I just have a lot on my mind is all.”

 

Ryeowook snorts, causing them both to give him a slightly disgusted look at the gross sound. “More like you no longer search for those two now.”

 

Changmin looks over at the table in question, knowing about his and Ryeowook’s old friendship with the two 12th graders, and Kyuhyun’s kicks his shin to stop him, causing him to hiss.

 

“I guess I finally stopped living in a bubble,” Kyuhyun mumbles, playing around with his food.

 

Ryeowook sighs. “I did warn you that things have changed.”

 

Kyuhyun nods, hiding his eyes with his fringe as he continues to look down. “I know.”

 

“Guys...”

 

“Hyukjae especially has changed,” Ryeowook continues, tone harsh.

 

“We’ve just grown up is all,” Kyuhyun defends.

 

“Guys....” Changmin calls again, slightly urgently and Kyuhyun glances over to look at the younger male.

 

“What?” he demands, and follows Changmin’s eye line and feels his entire body rush with a cold wave as Ryeowook does too to stare at the approaching males.

 

“H-Hyukjae,” Kyuhyun stutters himself, him and Changmin rising quickly to bow.

 

Ryeowook scoffs as Hyukjae walks right past them, him and his few friends turning away from their table.

 

Kyuhyun’s face burns.

 

“What the hell was that?” Changmin hisses, pissed as they sit back down quickly.

 

Ryeowook pops his spoon free from his mouth. “Him being a dick.”

 

Kyuhyun’s hands shake slightly, hiding them under the table as he tracks Hyukjae leaving the hall. “But why?”

 

Ryeowook points his spoon at Kyuhyun. “Stop with the injured puppy look.”

 

“I’m not!” Kyuhyun hisses. “But why would he intimidate us?”

 

“That wasn’t him intimidating us.”

 

“Then what?” Changmin demands.

 

Ryeowook grabs his tray, rising to leave. “It was him testing out the waters.”

 

Both Changmin and Kyuhyun blink at that, confused. “Huh?”

 

Before Ryeowook leaves, he says, “He’s playing with Kyuhyun.”

 

At Ryeowook’s words, Kyuhyun’s reminded of the time just after they had all became friends.

 

_“You’re too bratty,” Hyukjae complains loudly. “You don’t even show any level of respect to us, your hyungs!”_

_Kyuhyun sticks out his tongue, ignoring him as he continues to play the card game with Ryeowook._

_“So what do you want?” Donghae giggles, amused from where he’s sitting next to Kyuhyun, the only one paying any attention to Hyukjae’s tantrum brought on by Kyuhyun speaking to him informally. Again._

_“I want him to be respectful!” Hyukjae rushes out. “I would like for him to at least bow to me when he sees me in front of his class. Do you know how that makes me look when I walk past his class and he shouts out ‘Hyuk!’?!”_

_Kyuhyun and Ryeowook share a snigger at that._

_Donghae rolls his eyes. “Chill, Hyuk.”_

_Hyukjae refuses to ‘chill’._

_“It makes the others fear me less!”_

_“What is there to fear about you?” Both Kyuhyun and Donghae laugh out._

_“You’re a 3 rd grader,” Ryeowook adds. “And this isn’t the big school yet, no one should fear anyone.”_

_Hyukjae splutters over his words, confusing himself with what he worded wrongly._

_“Just...a little respect, Kyuhyun,” he whines, finally losing steam to his tantrum._

_Kyuhyun grins as he wins the game. “Whatever, Hyukjae.”_

_“I said-”_

_“And I used your full name,” Kyuhyun smirks up at him. “Is that a little more respect?”_

_Donghae is quick to protect Kyuhyun as Hyukjae launches himself at him, all three of them laughing._

Kyuhyun knows what game Ryeowook means now.

 

 

 

“You’re acting weird.”

 

Hyukjae glances up at the open door of the classroom. “Huh?”

 

Donghae edges into the room. “The guys told me you went to someone’s table at lunch, and instead you walked straight past it.”

 

“I just wanted to see if any fear remained in the younger grades.”

 

Donghae folds his arms. “Hyuk...”

 

“Remember that lad we chased? Hyukjae asks as he puts his manga book down. “The one who escaped through the window?”

 

Donghae nods slowly. “Yeah, why?”

 

Hyukjae watches the male carefully. “It was Kyuhyun.”

 

Donghae’s body stiffens at the name, eyes wide with surprise and also doubt. “Kyuhyun?” he repeats slowly, arms slowly unfolding.

 

Hyukjae nods. “He’s friends with Ryeowook again.”

 

Donghae expression immediately shifts, eyes dark as he glares at Hyukjae. “How long have you known?”

 

“Hae-”

 

 “Is this why you didn’t want us to approach Ryeowook? Because he’s ‘found’ someone else?” Donghae spits, furious.

 

Knowing better to test the male’s temper, Hyukjae nods.

 

Donghae turns to leave and Hyukjae stumbles to stand up. “Where are you going?”

 

“To find him.”

 

Hyukjae stops Donghae before he can leave, pushing him up against the door. “You-”

 

“Let me go,” Donghae warns slowly.

 

“So you can what?” Hyukjae hisses. “So you can see if seeing him will bring it back?”

 

Donghae’s brown eyes harden. “Low blow.”

 

Hyukjae fists the male’s uniform, getting right into his face. “But I’m right.”

 

Donghae shoves at him but Hyukjae keeps a tight hold.

 

 “Seeing him isn’t going to make him instantly worship you again like he did when he was a kid.” Hyukjae hisses quietly, their eyes locked on each other’s.

 

“You-”

 

“Seeing him won’t bring back your crush.”

 

Donghae’s eyes flare with anger at that. “Is that what you think?” he snarls, and Hyukjae remains unaffected to the male’s anger. “Is that why you kept him from me?”

 

“He’s moved on-”

 

“I know you can be ruthless and petty, but to go this far in order to _have me all to yourself_ ,” Donghae begins to hiss, and Hyukjae presses the male harder against the door, hand covering his mouth to shut him up.

 

“That’s not how it is.” Hyukjae growls out slowly. “You know that.”

 

Donghae scoffs harshly from behind his hand, eyes not believing him.

 

Hearing the sound of their classmates coming back, Hyukjae lets Donghae go quickly to avoid their little scene being seen.

 

Donghae pushes past him roughly, ignoring the surprised calls of his name as he bumps into their group of friends.

 

Hyukjae ignores curious questions over Donghae’s behaviour and goes back to his manga.

 

As he sits back down, his stomach is in bits.

 

Guilt or worry, whatever it is, it’s currently eating him inside.

 

 

 

 

“Don’t you just hate it when _someone_ has all the talents in the world?” Ryeowook purposely grips, sulking slightly as they come down the stairs, their piano class done.

 

Kyuhyun rolls his eyes and shoves Ryeowook slightly, causing him to squeak in surprise as he takes the last couple of steps fast. “Not my fault,” he grins.

 

“Show off.”

 

Kyuhyun grin widens as he follows after Ryeowook towards the lockers.

 

As they continue to bicker over Kyuhyun’s talent and Ryeowook’s impatience when it comes to learning something, they end up playfully fighting with each other as they leave the school, shoving at each other.

 

Kyuhyun ends up part cackling, part apologising as Ryeowook stumbles over his own feet and falls down at the gates.

 

As he reaches down to help him up, Ryeowook’s complaints suddenly trail off, eyes locked behind Kyuhyun.

 

Kyuhyun glances over his shoulder and tenses at seeing Hyukjae and his group of friends near the bicycles.

 

Hyukjae is watching them.

 

“Come on,” Ryeowook whispers as he rises quickly, grabbing Kyuhyun’s sleeve and tugging him down the street so Kyuhyun can catch his bus home.

 

Kyuhyun breaks eye contact with Hyukjae, but still feels the male staring at him as they quicken their pace and leave.

 

“Will you ever tell me what they did?” Kyuhyun asks softly, and Ryeowook lets go of his sleeve.

 

Ryeowook shrugs. “It’s done now. No point in talking about it.”

 

Kyuhyun sighs at the block against the topic, but drops it again.

 

It’s got to be something unforgivable for Hyukjae and Ryeowook to be this anti each other.

 

Or maybe it’s something completely ridiculous, just like the time Hyukjae accidently broke Ryeowook’s toy and the younger male had banned him from his birthday party.

 

One thing is for sure, Kyuhyun can’t go through an entire year with this tension surrounding them every time they encounter Hyukjae or Donghae.

 

Kyuhyun needs to say something to them.

 

 

 

 

That moment comes quicker than anticipated.

 

Kyuhyun tightens his grip on his locker door, aware of people looking at them as Donghae smiles at him, standing close.

 

“You’ve changed,” the older male says softly, and Kyuhyun doesn’t know how to respond or even act.

 

“S-so have you,” he stutters out, and distracts himself with dumping his things into his locker, hiding his face as he does so.

 

“You and Wook have become friends again?” Donghae asks as he leans against the locker next to Kyuhyun’s, watching Kyuhyun and making him even more flustered.

 

Kyuhyun nods, taking off his shoes to change into his school slippers.

 

“That’s good,” the male sighs, and he really does sound pleased.

 

Kyuhyun peeks at him. “Why are you speaking to me?” he hesitantly asks, and surprise lights the older male’s face.

 

“Do I have a reason not to?” Donghae argues back, head tilted slightly.

 

Kyuhyun doesn’t know. “Hyuk-”

 

Immediately Donghae’s face changes at the mention of the other male, alarming Kyuhyun. “Ignore him,” the male growls out. “He doesn’t know how to socialise.”

 

“Are...are you two still close?” Kyuhyun asks slowly, throat tight.

 

Donghae takes awhile to answer that. Kyuhyun’s chest aches.

 

“You two have been best friends for years, it wouldn’t be right if you both weren’t,” he tries to laugh off, making his question before seem like a joke.

 

Donghae doesn’t buy it. “We’re still close,” he assures, but Kyuhyun catches a hint of something in the male’s voice. A lie? A partial lie?

 

Hearing some of the others around them start to whisper, Kyuhyun’s neck turns warm as he slams his locker shut. “I need to go,” he says in a hurry, not liking the attention as he moves to leave.

 

Donghae catches his elbow and slows him down, walking along beside him as they leave the locker area. “Can we talk more? At lunch, maybe?” he asks as they walk.

 

Kyuhyun holds his notebook tighter. “Erm...I sit with Ryeowook.”

 

Donghae’s grip on him leaves him. “Ah. Well...maybe for just today you could sit with me?”

 

Kyuhyun looks over at the male, reading his face. “Why?”

 

“Because you suddenly left and have now reappeared again, I want to know how you’ve been,” the male says as they come to the first staircase and Kyuhyun pauses, his class up this part.

 

Kyuhyun chews on his lip. “Donghae, Ryeowook-”

 

“I know he’s told you to ignore us, mainly Hyukjae,” Donghae cuts in, tone knowing. “I don’t blame him, but I would like to fix that, one day. For now though, can we – me and you – have a little catch up?”

 

Kyuhyun doesn’t know what to do. This is what he’s been wanting for years, but the last few weeks it has changed, he doesn’t know which way to go since he doesn’t know the drama that has happened between the three of them.

 

As the bell rings, Donghae gives him a small smile. “If you change your mind, I’ll be sitting outside at lunch.”

 

Kyuhyun stares as the older male walks away from them, and soon Kyuhyun is being pushed as the students hurry to get to their class.

 

Head a mess now, Kyuhyun nearly falls up the stairs in his hurry to get to his classroom.

 

 

 

“Well, if he approached Kyuhyun, doesn’t that mean he doesn’t mean any harm?” Changmin says, pausing his eating as Kyuhyun finishes telling them about this morning.

 

“Donghae doesn’t have a bad bone in his body,” Kyuhyun mumbles automatically, and Ryeowook rolls his eyes.

 

“Look, do as you please, but all I’m saying is, watch out,” the male says as he unpacks his lunch.

 

“If you just tell me why-”

 

“Isn’t that Donghae?” Changmin suddenly says, looking over at the doors.

 

Kyuhyun glances in time to see the male’s back as he leaves. “He did say if I wanted to, to meet him outside.”

 

Ryeowook pushes the lunchbox he made for Kyuhyun towards him. “Like I said, do as you please,” the male says as he tucks into his own. “Just don’t bring him or the other one anywhere near me.”

 

Changmin pulls a face at that. “Ouch.”

 

Kyuhyun looks down at his lunchbox.

 

He doesn’t know what to do.

 

 

 

“How come you’re sitting out here?”

 

Donghae ignores him, eyes shut as he continues to lounge on the bench.

 

Hyukjae nudges his foot with his shoe. “I’m sorry,” he hears the male say quietly, tone very apologetic.

 

Donghae peeks an eye open at him. “You kept him away, why?”

 

Hyukjae shrugs as he sits down by Donghae’s feet. “I didn’t think he would remember us.”

 

“Liar.”

 

Hyukjae gives him a look. “Okay so I thought that a little bit, but...I was worried if Ryeowook has said anything to him.”

 

Donghae slowly sits up at that. “Wookie isn’t like that,” he chides. “Even if we’ve fallen out, he wouldn’t reveal why.”

 

“You sure about that?”

 

“Absolutely,” Donghae says firmly. “I’ve known him ever since he could walk, and we’ve both grown up with him; Ryeowook isn’t that sort of person.”

 

Hyukjae sighs, a hand touching the bare skin of Donghae’s ankle, his thumb rubbing a slow circle. “We really handled that badly,” the male mutters, and Donghae scoffs.

 

“ _You_ handled it badly,” he corrects softly. “Both of you just wouldn’t stop to listen to each other.”

 

Hyukjae squeezes his ankle gently. “I know.”

 

Donghae covers the male’s hand with his own. “Hey...” he calls softly, noticing the upset look on the male’s face as he looks down at his lap. “We can still try.”

 

Hyukjae shakes his head. “Too much time has passed; too much water is under the bridge now to save it.”

 

Donghae slowly and carefully links their hands together, squeezing gently. “Hyuk...look at me.”

 

Hyukjae peeks at him, their hands hidden down beside Donghae’s leg.

 

“Kyuhyun is our chance,” he says slowly. “Kyuhyun has always been able to make Ryeowook see sense in the end, plus he doesn’t know yet which gives us the chance to use that to our advantage to rebuild the cracks in that bridge with Ryeowook.”

 

Hyukjae looks sceptical at that. “What makes you think Kyuhyun even wants to bother with us now or after if we or Ryeowook ever tell him?”

 

Donghae looks over at the school building and smiles slowly at seeing Kyuhyun emerge, looking for where Donghae is sitting. “He’s came now, that has to mean something.”

 

Hyukjae glances over to look and let’s go of Donghae’s hand, quickly rising to stand up.

 

“What are you going to say to him?” he asks Donghae anxiously, and Donghae discreetly squeezes his thigh in reassurance.

 

“We’re just going to catch up,” he says as he stands to as Kyuhyun walks over to them.

 

Hyukjae nods, and at seeing the way Kyuhyun is eyeing Hyukjae, Donghae raises an eyebrow.

 

As Hyukjae leaves him, Donghae watches to see if they will interact.

 

Kyuhyun butts shoulders with Hyukjae, expression blank as he stares at Donghae.

 

Hyukjae’s expression is a picture though, and Donghae wished he had captured it as Hyukjae gawps at the younger male, stunned.

 

“I see you still have little respect towards your hyungs,” Donghae teases when Kyuhyun is close enough to hear.

 

Kyuhyun shrugs. “From what I’ve heard, he deserves no respect.”

 

Donghae’s heart thumps wildly at that. “Oh?”

 

Kyuhyun moves round the table and sits on the opposite side. “You haven’t eaten yet?” He asks, surprised at seeing Donghae’s untouched lunch.

 

Donghae hurries to sit down too. “I was hoping to eat with you,” he reveals, and Kyuhyun’s cheeks turn a little pink at that.

 

“And what if I hadn’t come?”

 

“Then I would have shoved it down my throat on my way to class,” Donghae grins, causing Kyuhyun to roll his eyes as he places his own lunch onto the table.

 

As they unwrap their lunches, Donghae smiles at seeing Kyuhyun’s. “Wook?” he questions, and Kyuhyun stares at him, surprised.

 

“How could you tell?” Kyuhyun asks, easing some of the kimbap out and stuffing it into his mouth.

 

Donghae smiles fondly at that. “He used to make us snacks whenever we went to his. That is one of them he used to make a lot.”

 

Kyuhyun’s chewing stills at that, swallowing. “He told me you guys fell out,” Kyuhyun says carefully, and Donghae’s heart goes back to hammering away.

 

“And?” Donghae coaxes, preparing himself.

 

“That’s all I know. He refuses to tell me why other than that you guys just drifted apart in the last year.”

 

Donghae’s heart nearly sings with relief.

 

“But what I can’t understand is why he would be so hostile towards you both,” Kyuhyun continues, and Donghae’s pleased and slightly nervous to know that this part of the male hasn’t dimmed over the years. “So, why is that?”

 

Donghae sighs slowly. “As much as this needs talking about, I was kinda hoping you and I could at least leave the heavy and complicated stuff aside for another conversation.”

 

Kyuhyun chews slowly, eyeing him.

 

Donghae eyes him back, taking this moment to actually _see_ Kyuhyun.

 

He’s taller than he was three years ago, less scrawny but still too thin for his height. His brown hair has more of a golden touch to it now due to the sun, and it’s longer than he’s ever seen it, it was thick and slightly wavy too.

 

He was always cute and adorable looking, especially when they were younger and he was shorter, but even now he still has a baby face, an innocence to him.

 

Kyuhyun’s glaring at him now. “You’re staring.”

 

“I’m just seeing how well you’ve grown,” Donghae says with a smile, offering the male a drink of his water since the male hasn’t got one.

 

Kyuhyun takes it and politely drinks from it without his lips touching the rim.

 

Donghae snorts at that. “Since when did you drink like that?”

 

Kyuhyun ignores him and continues to drink like that before handing it back to him. “It’s called, having manners.”

 

“Says the one who just shoulder-punched another,” Donghae smirks, enjoying the way Kyuhyun’s pale cheeks flush with pink at his teasing.

 

“I have my reasons,” Kyuhyun says in defence.

 

“And those are?”

 

“He tried to intimidate me yesterday,” Kyuhyun says, and Donghae blinks in surprise. “He came over at lunch but didn’t come to me; he just wanted to see how I would react to him. It was like a power trip.”

 

Donghae makes a mental note to have a...word about that with the other male.

 

“And Ryeowook reminded me of that time when he was having a tantrum because I wasn’t respecting him, so I decided to go back to my roots of _not_ respecting him.”

 

Donghae snorts at that. “But you had respect for him back then; you just showed it in ways he never really saw.”

 

Kyuhyun nods. “Now though...now is different.”

 

“Because of the tension?”

 

Kyuhyun shakes his head, eyes looking down at his food. “Hyukjae looks...appears to be different now. He seems more...unapproachable.”

 

Donghae chews his lip at that, watching the younger male carefully. “You’ll learn that sometimes, especially now you’re in high school, the best thing is to make people not want to bother with you.”

 

Kyuhyun peeks up at that. “Why?”

 

Choosing his words carefully, Donghae says, “If you present yourself as someone who doesn’t like to be bothered, no one is going to talk about you or give you the time of day because of that. High school is the time where gossip and rumours are rife; everyone interested in what someone else is doing and creating drama.”

 

“So...he’s been like this all the way through?”

 

Donghae shakes his head. “He started behaving like he has a wall around him and a permanent scowl on his face for awhile, but not all the way through our years here.”

 

The vagueness in his reply has Kyuhyun staring at him, those brown eyes taking apart his words and looking deeper beneath them.

 

Donghae works to keep his expression clear.

 

Before Kyuhyun can ask for more, the school bell rings, signalling the end of lunch.

 

As they pack up their half eaten lunch, Donghae spies Hyukjae lurking near the entrance of the building, watching them.

 

“Can we meet again?” Donghae asks, hurrying to follow Kyuhyun as he starts back to the building. “I never did get the chance to ask you a few things.”

 

Kyuhyun pauses and looks at him as a few other students trail back inside.

 

Donghae gives him a warm smile, hoping he’s done enough to allow Kyuhyun to trust him just a little again.

 

“Lunch is the only period I can have with Ryeowook,” Kyuhyun tells him carefully. “I don’t want to-”

 

“How about after school?” Donghae asks, cutting over him. “Just for half an hour?”

 

Kyuhyun glances back at the school as the second warning bell rings. “I’ll let you know,” he says, and without giving Donghae a chance, he runs to the building, hurrying to get to his class.

 

Donghae sighs, shoulders sagging a little as he follows at a slower pace.

 

Meeting Hyukjae at the lockers, where the male slips around a row of lockers to avoid being seen by Kyuhyun, both of them watch him as he rushes down the corridor before turning to go up the staircase.

 

“Any luck?” Hyukjae asks as they head to their own classroom for their free study period.

 

Donghae shrugs. “I need more time.”

 

“Did he say anything about...well, you know.”

 

“Ryeowook hasn’t told him,” Donghae reveals as they climb the staircase. “He thinks we’ve just drifted apart, but he’s not stupid, Hyuk, he knows Ryeowook and us are keeping something from him.”

 

“So what’s the plan?” Hyukjae asks as they arrive at their floor and see their friends going into their classroom.

 

“Befriend him again,” Donghae says as a few girls pass them, looking at them both.

 

Hyukjae follows their stare until they hurry away, causing Donghae to shove him at the slight intimidation.

 

“What?”

 

“You know what,” Donghae chastises as they enter the class. “They were only looking.”

 

“Yeah well, I’m not a piece of art made to be gawped at,” Hyukjae defends hotly.

 

Donghae snorts at that. “Even if you were a piece of art, no one would come gawping at you. It’s me they’re interested in.”

 

Hyukjae shoves him at that, causing him to stumble into one of their friend’s desks, making the others laugh, catching what Donghae had said.

 

As the others make comments on the how many admirers Donghae has, Hyukjae gives him a filthy look from where he sits at his desk away from them.

 

Donghae sends him a sly wink and joins in with their friends.

 

 

 

 

It takes him a few days to decide what to do.

 

As he slips the piece of paper into Donghae’s locker, he knows he’s going to be treading on thin ice with Ryeowook over his choice.

 

But if Ryeowook is going to keep quiet on what happened, then Kyuhyun is going to find out for himself.

 

As the piece of paper disappears, Kyuhyun flees when he hears the sounds of a big group coming and hurries down the corridor away from them.

 

Peeking around the corner near the staircase, Kyuhyun’s heart beats fast at seeing it was Hyukjae and Donghae with a few of their friends.

 

As the others laugh and carry on as they change their shoes, Donghae pauses, having seen Kyuhyun’s little note.

 

Kyuhyun watches as the male reads it, sees Hyukjae come up behind him to see what he’s doing, and jumps back when Donghae’s head snaps up to look down at the corridor.

 

Hurrying up the stairs, Kyuhyun’s face is strangely burning and he ends up bumping into a group of girls, who snigger slightly as he apologizes in a flustered mess.

 

He ends up racing from their giggles, face burning even more as one of them comments ‘how cute~’.

 

What an embarrassing way to start the day.

 

 

 

“You’re meeting him now?” Ryeowook asks as they leave the music classroom.

 

Kyuhyun nods, holding his piano books tighter to him as he glances over to judge the male’s response. “I know things between you three are strained, but I don’t want to take sides, Wook.”

 

“So you’re going to sit on the fence.”

 

“So I’m going to make the choice for myself by making my own opinion and thoughts on how those two are now,” Kyuhyun corrects. “I only have a year with them; I don’t want to spend that awkwardly ignoring their existence when they haven’t done anything wrong to me.”

 

“So why bother then?” Ryeowook mumbles. “They’ll be gone in a year.”

 

Kyuhyun gives him a look. “You’re acting slightly petty now.”

 

Ryeowook looks away as they come down the stairs. “Fine, whatever. Do as you please.”

 

“Wook...”

 

“Like I said, just don’t bring them anywhere near me,” Ryeowook warns, and Kyuhyun sighs, nodding.

 

As they both take their time at the lockers, Kyuhyun is starting to feel nervous. He hasn’t even seen Donghae today to make sure the male could meet him.

 

As they leave the school, heading for the school gates, Kyuhyun sees him.

 

“Have fun on your little date,” Ryeowook mumbles as they draw closer, causing Kyuhyun to shove him for the comment.

 

As Ryeowook stumbles, Donghae starts walking over to them, smiling a little.

 

As he greets them both, Kyuhyun sighs as Ryeowook ignores it, only saying goodbye to Kyuhyun as he walks straight past Donghae without even looking at him.

 

Donghae sighs too, looking back at the male as Kyuhyun comes to stand beside him. “Still like I don’t exist,” the male mumbles, tone slightly sad.

 

“You know he can carry a grudge for ages,” Kyuhyun reminds him, feeling slightly awkward still to be around Donghae.

 

Donghae glances over at him, eyes immediately dropping down to see what he’s carrying. “Piano?”

 

Kyuhyun nods as they start to walk down the street. “What did you take?”

 

“Football.”

 

Kyuhyun grimaces at that. “Lovely,” he says, causing Donghae to laugh at his tone.

 

“Me and Hyuk are actually on the school’s team,” he says, proud. “You should come by when we have a match.”

 

Kyuhyun pulls another face. “Maybe.”

 

Donghae laughs again, nudging their shoulders together playfully, and Kyuhyun’s more stunned at how normal it feels to be like this with the male again.

 

As Donghae leads him to a nearby convenience store where they both buy some ramen and sit at the window, waiting for it to cook whilst also watching people come and go.

 

“How was middle school?” Donghae asks suddenly, messing around with a napkin.

 

“Dull,” Kyuhyun admits, causing a smile to creep on Donghae’s face as he looks at him.

 

“You didn’t find your own version of us three?” Donghae teases lightly.

 

Kyuhyun shakes his head. “I didn’t have anyone.”

 

Donghae’s smile slips at that. “Huh?”

 

“I studied all the way through middle school,” Kyuhyun reveals. “I didn’t befriend anyone.”

 

“Why?”

 

Kyuhyun swallows, looking down at his own pot of ramen. “Because I had you guys,” he says in a small embarrassed voice. “I didn’t want to replace you guys.”

 

Quiet reigns over them at his admission. Glancing to judge Donghae’s reaction, he’s surprised to see the male looking a little...upset?

 

“Donghae?” He calls the male’s name softly, and Donghae tries to smile it off.

 

“You...We thought that you would have moved on,” the male says as he checks his ramen, avoiding Kyuhyun’s eyes. “You never once contacted us, so we just thought you were over it, busy living your life back in your hometown.”

 

Kyuhyun lets out a slight scoff at that. “I hated it there. I just wanted to come back to Seoul; I purposely made myself an outcast because I didn’t want to be there. But...the longer time passed, my letters to you guys never saw the light of day because I was worried you’d all be angry that I had just left like the way I did.”

 

“And then three years slipped by without me even realising it and I could just barely remember the sound of your voices, and I was so unhappy there that my parents finally threw in the towel and gave me to option of coming back here or staying there.”

 

“And you chose to come back, even knowing that our friendship could be gone?” Donghae says, and Kyuhyun nods.

 

“It was a risk. But I was so unhappy, so alone, that it was a risk I was willing to take.”

 

Donghae takes Kyuhyun’s ramen and checks it for him. “But you came back to find out that things _had_ changed,” he says softly as Kyuhyun watches him. “That Ryeowook hates me and Hyuk.”

 

“Hate is a strong word,” Kyuhyun mutters softly. “I think that he’s just hurt by whatever happened and he’s clinging to it.”

 

“You don’t know what happened, Hyun,” Donghae says sadly and that old nickname lights a burn through Kyuhyun, a giddy feeling building in his chest before Donghae’s words register and smoother it with a cold blast.

 

“So why not tell me?” Kyuhyun says gently, and Donghae stares at him.

 

Kyuhyun holds his breath, watching as Donghae thinks.

 

“Not yet,” Donghae says, and Kyuhyun exhales slowly as they break eye contact. “Not when I’ve just found you.”

 

Kyuhyun’s heart aches at that, his cheeks warming at the sincere tone to the male’s words.

 

As they slowly begin to eat, they move away from the topic of Kyuhyun’s loneliness and the mystery that broke up the friendship between the three, and slowly learn how the other has changed over the years.

 

And again, Kyuhyun starts to feel comfortable with the male again; his silly hyung still there beneath the maturity the male has now.

 

As they snigger over their meal, enjoying themselves, Kyuhyun can’t help but wonder what it would be like if Hyukjae was with them.

 

Would he still be the joker, the one who would make any situation light and fun?

 

Or has he really changed and only Donghae can be the one to remain by his side, their bond far too strong to break?

 

Kyuhyun pushes that away and instead allows Donghae to dote on him again, both of them having fallen right back into their little roles back when they were younger.

 

“You didn’t have to get the bus with me,” Kyuhyun says as they walk down his street, the sky darker now as time has passed quickly.

 

Donghae grins, hands deep in his pockets. “I have nothing better to do,” he says, causing Kyuhyun to snort.

 

“You have a lot to prepare for since it’s your last year,” he says as he eyes his apartment building.

 

“I’m not going to university.”

 

Kyuhyun nearly trips.

 

“What?” He asks, surprised, looking at the amused male.

 

“I’m going straight into the army,” Donghae tells him, playfully tapping Kyuhyun’s chin shut. “I’ll go into university after.”

 

“Is Hyuk?”

 

Donghae shrugs. “He doesn’t know what he wants to do.”

 

Both resume walking again. “That means you would be starting university the same time as me?” Kyuhyun says, and Donghae nods. Kyuhyun grins at that. “That would be strange.”

 

“But I would still be your hyung, brat,” Donghae says, shoving Kyuhyun slightly, causing Kyuhyun to snigger.

 

“Well, this is me,” he says, gesturing to the building. “Thanks, Donghae.”

 

Donghae raises an eyebrow. “For what? I only brought you home.”

 

Kyuhyun rolls his eyes. “For still being you,” he corrects.

 

Donghae smiles, expression fond. “Does this mean we can hang out again?”

 

Kyuhyun smiles, feeling shy as he nods.

 

Donghae looks relieved, and Kyuhyun realises just how much the male must have been worrying about that.

 

“I’ll see you tomorrow, Hyun.”

 

Kyuhyun’s stomach flutters at that nickname, the way Donghae says it now is different, more...softer...caring.

 

Kyuhyun stumbles over his feet to leave as Donghae waits for him to go inside, face burning from his thoughts and stupid stomach flutter.

 

As he waves goodbye, Kyuhyun watches as Donghae leaves once he’s inside the building, the doors locked again.

 

He ends up pressed against the glass door to watch the male walk down the street.

 

And then he realises what he’s doing and is _mortified_ with his actions.

 

Grateful he is about having Donghae back in his life, but he should _not_ be acting like this.

 

But out of all three of them, Donghae has always had a hold over him; he used to be Kyuhyun’s weakness back when they were kids, his trigger to protect and his trigger to anger him if someone mocked his sweet hyung. He was....maybe still is, Kyuhyun’s favourite.

 

But they’re older now with distance between them still, Kyuhyun can’t keep thinking like that.

 

So he tries to ignore the flutters in his stomach about seeing Donghae again tomorrow, and convinces himself that they are flutters of nerves still.

 

It’s better to do that than acknowledge what they really mean.

 

 

 

 

As the weeks past, Kyuhyun and Donghae are getting closer and closer, sometimes meeting at lunch or after school.

 

It’s gotten to the point now that Ryeowook just rolls his eyes whenever Kyuhyun mentions Donghae or sees him around school, while Changmin looks completely amused and has started to tease him about it.

 

In which Ryeowook would have to shut them up when their bickering would get too much, complaining of a headache.

 

Despite him and Donghae getting closer again, Hyukjae still hasn’t tried to butt in yet which Kyuhyun had been expecting to happen.

 

It made him question why the other male was keeping his distance, and why only Donghae was the one reaching out to him.

 

He then started to question Donghae a little, and Ryeowook’s voice started to appear at the back of his mind to watch out.

 

So Kyuhyun did.

 

 

 

 

“Hanging out with Kyuhyun again?”

 

Donghae turns at the sound of Hyukjae’s voice, his eyebrow rising at the male’s tone. “Problem?”

 

Hyukjae watches him as he gets ready for football practise. “You need to be careful.”

 

“Of what?” Donghae asks, tying his laces.

 

Hyukjae moves to crouch down beside him under the pretence of doing is own. “People are talking,” he whispers to Donghae.

 

Donghae stiffens slightly. “Well...they can talk. Nothing is going on with us.”

 

Hyukjae gives him a look. “Then stop making it obvious. Kyuhyun is a freshman; he has yet to hear about the rumours-”

 

“Are you worried or is this you being jealous?” Donghae whispers, eyes locked with Hyukjae’s. “Which one?”

 

Hyukjae’s eyes narrow. “You know how I feel about this.”

 

“Actually, I don’t,” Donghae hisses. “I haven’t seen you in days.”

 

“That’s because you’re always with Kyuhyun.”

 

“So you _are_ jealous,” Donghae growls out, standing up.

 

“Hae-”

 

“We’re late,” Donghae says, tone clipped.

 

As he leaves the changing room, he hears Hyukjae sigh harshly, frustrated.

 

Well, that makes two of them.

 

 

 

Kyuhyun feels like he’s sticking out like a sore thumb.

 

Donghae had asked him to come and watch him play football with his team, to see how much his and Hyukjae’s skills have improved.

 

Kyuhyun didn’t particularly want to, but one look at the male’s puppy look had him agreeing without him realising it.

 

As he sits on the stands overlooking out onto the field, Kyuhyun is already bored, being the only one on his own as others mingle in groups.

 

He should have dragged Changmin with him.

 

He gets his phone out just as the team comes out to warm up, and he spends the next ten minutes just watching Hyukjae and Hae play, awed.

 

They have definitely improved their game play, both so much quicker and agile now compared to when they were kids.

 

Hyukjae...Kyuhyun sucks in an awed breath as the male sprints from one end of the pitch to the other in a matter of seconds to claim the ball.

 

They make it look so easy...it almost annoys him.

 

Now he knows how Ryeowook feels about him and the piano.

 

“All alone, freshman?”

 

Spine stiffening, Kyuhyun glances to the side of him to see a couple of boys looking at him as they lounge on the wooden benches.

 

Kyuhyun nods stiffly, not wanting to engage in conversation with the older boys, not when his stomach his clenching tightly with a warning feeling.

 

One of them sniggers, the ring leader smirking. “Who you watching?” he asks.

 

Kyuhyun doesn’t answer this time, not liking the tone of the male’s question.

 

Instead, he stands up and leaves the row to move down a couple of seats, nearer to the pitch.

 

As he sits down, he tries to calm down his nervous heart, phone out to distract himself as he texts Changmin and Ryeowook.

 

As he waits for them to text back, he feels something hit the back of his head, too light to hurt, but also solid enough for him to notice it.

 

The back of his neck burns as he hears the boys from before laugh, a lot closer than before, and as he uses his phone, he can see their reflection on the dark screen as they sit two rows behind him.

 

He ignores them, forcing himself to look for Donghae.

 

When he feels something else hit him, Kyuhyun shifts more forwards on his seat which causes them to roar with laughter as his breathing picks up.

 

He ends up catching Hyukjae’s eyes as he rests a little and Kyuhyun immediately breaks it when he hears the boys begin to move closer.

 

Shoving his bag over his shoulder, Kyuhyun walks fast, face burning as the group chortle and laugh as he runs away.

 

 

 

Hyukjae blinks, ignoring the call of his name as Kyuhyun suddenly runs from the stands, leaving the field.

 

Kyuhyun had looked uncomfortable, but...surely it wasn’t because he didn’t like sport?

 

As Hyukjae runs lightly around the pitch, keeping track of where the ball is going, he keeps looking to see if maybe he had come back.

 

Kyuhyun hasn’t.

 

Donghae notices Kyuhyun’s disappearing act and Hyukjae swallows at the confused expression the male has as he searches the stands for Kyuhyun.

 

As the practice game continues, Hyukjae can see that Donghae is distracted, which in turn makes _Hyukjae_ distracted.

 

Both of them are reprimanded at the end.

 

 

 

Over the next couple of days, Kyuhyun begins to notice a pattern emerging.

 

“Hey freshman.”

 

He’s being targeted.

 

Ignoring the group as they come into the toilets, he continues on with his business.

 

He hears murmurs and glances out of the corner of his eye to see two boys guarding the door to the room, the other three coming over to where Kyuhyun is at the urinals.

 

“So...” the ring leader he’s come to know as Jun says as he leans against the wall between Kyuhyun’s urinal and the one next to it, “how did you manage it?”

 

Kyuhyun finishes his business and fastens himself up, ignoring them as he tries not to feel so threatened.

 

The ring leader pushes him slightly when he tries to leave, and Kyuhyun feels the other two come behind him, blocking him.

 

“Well?” Jun says, arms folded.

 

“I don’t know what you mean,” Kyuhyun says politely, since he _is_ older, hoping it’ll stop the male harassing him.

 

“Yeah you do,” the male says with a leering smirk, the other two behind him snorting.

 

Kyuhyun shakes his head. “I don’t-”

 

“Lee Donghae’s new bitch.”

 

Kyuhyun’s entire body goes cold at the unexpected insult, causing him to stare at Jun in astonishment. “I-I-”

 

“Slap him to restart him.”

 

Kyuhyun gets a harsh slap to the back of his head, causing him to make a sound of pain as he cringes away from them, only to bump into Jun.

 

“I’m not his...his bitch,” Kyuhyun says quickly, heart trying to lodge itself into his mouth. “He’s just a hyung!”

 

“Good,” Jun sneers in Kyuhyun’s face causing him to flinch, “because this school isn’t like that.”

 

Kyuhyun feels sick at what he’s insinuating, his scared mind just catching up.

 

“He’s coming!” one of the boy’s on guard duty hisses urgently and all five of them hurry, the two behind him shoving him slight as they leave the room.

 

Once they’re gone, Kyuhyun’s legs buckle, his body starting to shake now the threat is gone.

 

As he clutches at the wall, Kyuhyun feels himself threatening to cry from the brief moment of bullying.

 

He hears someone come in and raises his head, tense.

 

Hyukjae stares at him, surprised. “Are you okay?” he asks, hurrying over as Kyuhyun slips to the ground as he feels relief at seeing someone familiar, someone who isn’t going to hurt him.

 

Kyuhyun nods, but tears have built up in his eyes so he squeezes them shut. “I just feel sick,” he lies.

 

Hyukjae leaves him and he hears him rip some toilet paper and then the tap running.

 

Kyuhyun jumps slightly as Hyukjae’s hand pushes his fringe off his face before placing the damp paper against his forehead. “Where is Ryeowook?” The male asks as Kyuhyun stares at him, stunned by the caring act.

 

“Hall,” Kyuhyun says since it’s lunch time, then he tries to pull away. “I’m fine-”

 

“Stay.”

 

Kyuhyun stiffens at the order, stomach clenching with unease.

 

“Kyuhyun...” the male says his name gently, but firmly, and Kyuhyun peeks up at him. “The lads that were just in here...they didn’t-”

 

“I was in the toilet,” he lies again, not wanting any more trouble by snitching on them. “I didn’t see them.”

 

Hyukjae watches him carefully, and Kyuhyun works hard to conceal his previous fear.

 

Hyukjae eventually pulls away, taking the wet paper too. “Go get some fresh air,” he orders gently, looking away as he rises.

 

Kyuhyun swallows and gets to his feet; still pretending to be feeling queasy...which wasn’t hard due to the lingering fear.

 

As he leaves, he pauses at the door. “Thank you...Sunbae.”

 

“Hyukjae,” Hyukjae calls out as he opens the door, and Kyuhyun smiles slightly as he leaves.

 

As he hurries back to where he had left Changmin and Ryeowook, Kyuhyun sees Jun and his friends.

 

Jun gives him a look and he scurries past them with his head down.

 

 

 

Hyukjae crosses his arms, watching Kyuhyun race past the boys, shoulders slightly curved forward, head down.

 

Kyuhyun was a terrible liar.

 

 

 

Kyuhyun thought Jun and his group would leave him alone after that.

 

Sadly he was mistaken.

 

They continue to taunt him, and they’ve even started doing it when Changmin is around him, causing the other male to become protective.

 

“Report them,” Changmin insists as he holds Kyuhyun up, glaring at their backs as Kyuhyun breathes through the pain of having two people hurt his back as they passed them in the corridor.

 

Kyuhyun shakes his head. “They’ll get bored soon,” he assures softly.

 

Changmin frowns down at him. “So you’re just going to take it?”

 

Kyuhyun nods. “Like I said, they’ll get bored.”

 

As Kyuhyun eases himself from Changmin’s supportive grip, he goes back to their classroom, leaving Changmin alone.

 

Changmin isn’t going to wait around until they escalate things.

 

He turns and leaves.

 

After searching the school, he finds Ryeowook coming out of the art rooms. Before the male can greet him, Changmin is tugging him back inside the empty classroom.

 

“What the-”

 

“Kyuhyun is being bullied,” he grinds out, and Ryeowook’s expression drops, turning white slightly.

 

“Who?” Ryeowook demands in a faint whisper, and Changmin explains about the group and Jun.

 

“I think they’re either 12th graders, or 11th.”

 

Ryeowook’s face has shifted slightly through Changmin’s explanation, he looks furious.

 

“Leave it to me,” Ryeowook says as he moves to leave, and Changmin tries to catch him, to explain what he means by that.

 

The art door slams shut, and Changmin wonders if he’s done the right thing.

 

 

 

Ignoring the looks, Ryeowook storms into the classroom, eyes searching.

 

Donghae gapes at him in surprise. “Wook?”

 

“Follow. Now.” Without waiting to see if he’ll follow, Ryeowook turns and leaves, ignoring the outraged calls of Donghae’s clan at the lack of honorific.

 

He hears Donghae hurry after him as he leads them to the empty stairwell.

 

“What’s wrong?” Donghae demands, expression worried and wary because this is the first time Ryeowook has spoken to him in over a year.

 

Donghae gasps as Ryeowook shoves him, pushing up against the wall. “You either tell Kyuhyun the reason why he’s currently being harassed by closed-minded assholes, or _I_ tell him,” Ryeowook hisses out, body alive with anger as he glares at the stunned older male.

 

The stunned look quickly fades away at the mention of Kyuhyun being bullied. “Who-”

 

“Some lad called Jun and his mates. They’ve only just started harassing Kyuhyun and it’s because of _you_.”

 

“B-but why-”

 

“Do I need to spell it out for you, _hyung_?” Ryeowook hisses sarcastically in Donghae’s face. “He’s being called _your bitch_.”

 

Donghae’s face changes at that, gone is the confusion, fury to match Ryeowook’s own shows in his eyes. “Jun?” Donghae repeats, tone cold.

 

Ryeowook nods. “Sort out your mess, Donghae, and when you’ve done doing that, stay away from Kyuhyun.”

 

Donghae breathes out slowly, his eyes dark. “I’ll sort it,” he promises. “But unless I hear it from Kyuhyun, I’m not staying away.”

 

“We’ll see about that.” Ryeowook pushes away from the male and turns to leave, only to have his wrist snatched by the male.

 

“Do not say anything to Kyuhyun,” Donghae growls out, grip tight.

 

“I have a question for you actually, why are you sniffing around Kyuhyun like this when you have Hyuk?” Ryeowook asks, voice carrying, and Donghae’s face panics, making Ryeowook snatch his wrist free.

 

“Leave Kyuhyun alone,” Ryeowook spits at him quietly. “And I’ll keep my mouth shut.”

 

He jogs down the steps without waiting for an answer.

 

 

 

 

Lost in his thoughts, Kyuhyun puts together what he’s learnt.

 

Jun started harassing him for a reason, that reason being he believes that Kyuhyun and Donghae are dating each other. The insult ‘Donghae’s bitch’ is a clear enough answer to that. Kyuhyun’s not stupid, he knows homosexuality is something some people struggle to accept still, so for Jun to be like ‘our school isn’t like that’, Kyuhyun knows that because of the stigma surrounding gay relationships, negativity is a given.

 

For Jun to think that thought, even more so to attack him about Donghae specifically when he could have made that assumption about either Changmin or Ryeowook, that means there is more to this.

 

And Kyuhyun can’t help but wonder if that may have something to do with Donghae and Hyukjae.

 

Kyuhyun’s isn’t blind, he has seen the two interact with each other, but both can be touchy feely with others too, and he knows how close they are because he grow up seeing their bond strengthen.

 

Donghae had warned him about gossip and how to make people almost fear you so they won’t talk about you, something that Hyukjae had taken upon himself to do.

 

Kyuhyun knows right now that he’s making a lot of guesses that could be totally wrong, but his gut is saying otherwise.

 

Kyuhyun swallows, looking around, even though he’s thinking all of this in his head, he’s still apprehensive.

 

Kyuhyun thinks...the reason why those three fell out over a year ago...has something to do with Hyukjae and Donghae being more than _just_ friends.

 

 

 

The moment he realises Jun isn’t harassing him anymore, he’s immediately suspicious.

 

So he calls Changmin out on it.

 

“I didn’t report them,” Changmin says before stuffing his face.

 

“Then how come they’ve suddenly stopped?” he hisses. “You’re the only one I told!”

 

“Maybe you’re right,” Changmin says with a mouthful of rice. “They got bored.”

 

“Who got bored?” Ryeowook says as he sits down, surprising them.

 

As Changmin chokes a little, Kyuhyun waves the topic off. “Just someone in class today.”

 

Ryeowook gives him a suspicious look as he hands over Kyuhyun’s lunch. “What are you hiding?”

 

Kyuhyun rises, taking his lunch with him. “Nothing. I’m going to meet Hae-hyung.”

 

Ryeowook scoffs at that, interest gone now as Kyuhyun leaves them.

 

As he heads towards their usual table outside, Kyuhyun smiles, jogging at seeing Donghae already there.

 

“You always beat me,” he teases, causing Donghae to flinch in surprise as he approaches the table.

 

Donghae smiles weakly at that, watching as Kyuhyun sits down. “Actually, Hyun...”

 

“Hmm?” Kyuhyun hums as he moves to unwrap his lunch.

 

“I won’t be able to meet with you.”

 

Kyuhyun freezes, eyes rising to look up at him. “W-what?”

 

Donghae shifts slightly, expression troubled. “I...coach is on my ass about my game play. He wants me to put in extra practise, spend more time building my stamina for the upcoming matches with the other schools,” Donghae explains gently, eyes sorry.

 

“Oh...” Kyuhyun says slowly, hands moving to wrap his lunch again. “Okay.”

 

“Hyun-”

 

“Totally fine,” Kyuhyun forces a smile, stumbles from the seat as he hurries to leave. “Just...just let me know when you’re free.”

 

He races from Donghae, ignoring the call of his name as he tries not will the ground to swallow him up.

 

He got too comfortable with the male, too clingy like he did when they were younger.

 

No wonder he had caused Jun to target him, Kyuhyun had been too obvious.

 

 

 

“What as that about?” Hyukjae demands, hurrying over after having caught the moment as he came from the field, football in his hands.

 

His throat tightens at the closed look on Donghae’s face. “Hae...?”

 

“It was getting risky,” Donghae mumbles as Hyukjae sits down beside him, football on the table.

 

Hyukjae grabs his hands. “If this is about Jun, we sorted-”

 

“No.” Donghae cuts over him, voice tiny, and Hyukjae _knows_.

 

Hell, he knew the moment he told the male Kyuhyun was back.

 

Glancing down at their hands, he swallows. “You like him again, don’t you?”

 

Donghae’s hands clench his.

 

“I’m sorry,” he hears Donghae whisper, and Hyukjae shakes his head.

 

“You have nothing to be sorry for,” he chides softly. “I knew all along, didn’t I?”

 

Kyuhyun may have been blind to Donghae’s crush on him when they were younger, but Hyukjae hadn’t been. He was the one to console Donghae when they found out Kyuhyun had moved back to his hometown without so much as a goodbye.

 

Hyukjae has known from day one about Donghae’s feelings over the younger male, had listened to him when he had been confused about his feelings, and has seen him bury those feelings over the years until he finally got over it.

 

In which... _they_ happened.

 

Looking around them, Hyukjae presses a quick kiss to the male’s shoulder. “Crushes suck, huh?” he jokes lightly, causing a rumble of laughter to weakly come from the male.

 

“They sure do.”

 

 

 

 

As December comes, Kyuhyun is sucked into being part of the Christmas show, his talent with the piano and also singing (which is Ryeowook’s fault because both had been singing away in the music room and got caught by the choir teacher who in turn begged them to come to choir club) meant he was joining some of the other talented pianists in the school while Ryeowook went into being a main part of the choir.

 

So he was busy, almost stressed as the days just tick on by without a care for his sanity.

 

It also didn’t help that today would mark three weeks since Donghae last spoke to him.

 

 That...really didn’t help with his mood either.

 

“I’m getting tired of seeing that mopey expression,” Ryeowook comments at lunch, making Kyuhyun sulk harder, trying not to listen to Donghae’s laughter.

 

“You’re like someone with a crush,” Changmin sniggers, finding it hilarious, and Kyuhyun tenses at the word ‘crush’.

 

And Ryeowook catches it.

 

He spends the rest of lunch avoiding the other male’s demanding gaze.

 

 

 

“You like Donghae.”

 

Kyuhyun frantically looks around them, almost hissing at the brazen male for saying it out loud. “Whisper!” he urges as he shoves his foot into his shoe.

 

Ryeowook rolls his eyes. “Everyone else has already left.” He nods outside where their separate groups for the Christmas show are walking across the school yard, heading for the gates.

 

Kyuhyun still bristles. “Whisper,” he orders.

 

Ryeowook sinks down into a crouch beside him. “Am I right?” he whispers, though Kyuhyun picks up a faint hint of mocking in his tone due to whispering.

 

Kyuhyun sighs, shrugging. “Maybe?” he says unsurely. “I don’t know, Wook.”

 

“Hurry up; we’ll talk more outside the gates.”

 

Kyuhyun nearly drags his feet as they walk, not really feeling confident about this talk.

 

They don’t end up talking about it until they arrive at a little park on the way to the bus stop.

 

As they sit on the swings, Kyuhyun glances over at the quiet male. “Can I ask you something?”

 

“You just did.”

 

Kyuhyun kicks out at the male for the smart answer, the tension gone now due to it. “How...how do you feel about gay people?” he asks carefully, his earlier assumption over the falling out coming back.

 

“They’re still people, doesn’t matter who they date,” Ryeowook says with a slight carefree shrug. “Are you asking this because you think you may have a crush on Donghae?”

 

Kyuhyun nods a little. “You know Donghae has always been my favourite hyung...but, I dunno, it feels different this time.”

 

“Because you’re no longer a kid, you feel attraction now, Kyuhyun.”

 

Kyuhyun chews on his lip. “He’s the only one,” he admits quietly, cheeks warming.

 

“That you’ve been attracted to?” Ryeowook clarifies, and Kyuhyun nods.

 

“I mean...a few girls have asked me out, but I was never interested?” Kyuhyun tells him. “I was never interested in...well...in anyone, really.”

 

“But now you are.”

 

Again, Kyuhyun nods. “When Jun-” Kyuhyun clamps his mouth shut, eyes wide as he stupidly reveals it.

 

Ryeowook sighs. “I know, Kyu.”

 

Kyuhyun gawks at him. “How?!”

 

Ryeowook gives him a flat stare. “Changmin told me.”

 

Kyuhyun’s going to kill him on Monday.

 

“Did the bullying make you realise or...?” Ryeowook guesses, a little confused, and Kyuhyun sighs.

 

“He...made me look at it,” Kyuhyun admits. “Before that, I was just labelling it as my old feelings of looking up at Donghae.”

 

“Kyu...”

 

“Hmm?”

 

Ryeowook reaches out and grabs his hands, startling him. “It’s okay. It’s okay to have a crush on someone,” he tells him gently.

 

But Kyuhyun can feel a big ‘but’ coming.

 

“But?”

 

“But...Donghae is leaving next year,” he reminds him softly.

 

Kyuhyun slumps slightly, knowing this. “I know.”

 

“So...crushes are good an all, healthy to experience even, but it will pass.”

 

Kyuhyun nods, agreeing.

 

But he still can’t stop the tightening in his throat, or the ache in his chest.

 

Ryeowook squeezes his hands comfortingly.

 

Kyuhyun squeezes back.

 

 

 

Watching the players on the pitch, Ryeowook kept his eyes on one of them only.

 

When the coach blew the whistle for them to take a break, Ryeowook moved from the stands, heading over to the players as they huddle around the cooler, getting a drink of water.

 

Ryeowook tugs on Donghae’s sweaty shirt, grimacing at it, and drags him away, ignoring Donghae’s choked sounds of surprise as he splashes water from his bottle.

 

“Ryeowook, what the f-”

 

“I’m telling him,” he hisses, cutting Donghae off.

 

Donghae shoves him further away from the group. “I stayed away!” he hisses, aggrieved.

 

“Things have changed,” Ryeowook says, eyeing Hyukjae as he comes over to them. “What do you want?” he snarls at the other.

 

Hyukjae glares at him. “I should be asking _you_ that.”

 

Donghae sighs. “Guys...”

 

“I didn’t drag _you_ over here, did I?”

 

“And because of that act, you’ve got the lads talking.”

 

“Oh boohoo,” Ryeowook snipes. “You’re not needed, go away.”

 

Donghae stops Hyukjae from moving for Ryeowook, sending them both looks of annoyance. “Seriously, this is why we fell out!” he hisses to them both. “You both refuse to listen to each other.”

 

“Whatever,” Ryeowook dismisses, not even looking at Hyukjae anymore. “I’m telling Kyuhyun, he deserves to know.”

 

Donghae stops him by grabbing his wrist. “Why now?” he demands. “You could have told him when you both started talking again.”

 

Ryeowook tugs on his wrist, glaring at the male. “That was before I knew.”

 

“Knew what?” Hyukjae cuts in, both crowding closer to him.

 

Ryeowook smirks, staring Hyukjae square in the eye. “Congratulations, Donghae, you have effectively confused the maknae,” Ryeowook says harshly, tugging his wrist free.

 

Hyukjae’s jaw tightens, and Ryeowook steps away from them, his job done. “We’ll see if he still feels like that once I tell him.”

 

Donghae’s shocked expression turns pained. “Wook, please, don’t-”

 

“Are you ashamed of your relationship with Hyuk?” Ryeowook questions sharply, and the male splutters, shaking his head. “Then why hide it from your friend.”

 

Donghae snaps his mouth shut at that, eyes distressed.

 

Hyukjae looks like he’s ready to floor Ryeowook. “You hate me, so take it out on me, not Donghae or Kyuhyun,” he says quietly, tone thick.

 

Ryeowook stares at the male, the betrayal that still festers inside him, mixing in with anger bubbling away. “I am.”

 

Donghae leaves at that, visibly upset, but Hyukjae lingers, staring at him.

 

“You never used to be this cruel,” the older male states, and Ryeowook’s skin crawls at the hint of disappointment in the male’s voice.

 

“Try being lied to for nearly _two years_ by your supposed best friends,” Ryeowook shoots back. “Deceit changes a person, _hyung_.”

 

Hyukjae turns and storms away at that, following where Donghae raced off to, shouting to their coach they’ll be back in a few minutes.

 

Ryeowook ignores the stares, the little comments being made, and leaves.

 

 

 

Humming to himself as he cleans the room, Kyuhyun nearly dies of heart failure when he feels someone grab his arm, causing him to jerk around to see who the hell it was.

 

“D-Donghae?!” he squeaks out in surprise, and then blushes madly at his squeak.

 

“Can we talk?” The male asks, and Kyuhyun blinks, taking in how uneasy he looks.

 

“Sure,” he says. “Just let me finish up quickly.”

 

Donghae nods, mumbling he’ll wait outside the classroom and leaves, allowing Kyuhyun to quickly do his share of the clean up.

 

Once done, he grabs his things and tracks down Donghae, who is pacing the corridor.

 

“What’s wrong?” he asks, jogging down to him.

 

Donghae doesn’t say anything and instead grabs his sleeve and tugs for him to follow.

 

As the male leads him down the staircase and leads him towards the back of the school where the art block is, Kyuhyun starts to feel slightly worried.

 

“Why are we going back here?” he asks as Donghae opens a door and waves him inside.

 

Seeing it as the darkroom for the photography students, Kyuhyun turns to look at the male as he shuts the door behind them. “Erm...”

 

“No one is working here tonight,” Donghae hastily explains as he turns on the special lights.

 

Kyuhyun blinks at that. “You take photography?”

 

Donghae shakes his head. “I used to.”

 

Kyuhyun’s eyebrows rise at that. That was...unexpected.

 

“Sit,” Donghae gestures, and Kyuhyun does so slowly, only now aware he’s in a fairly small sized room with dim lighting with his crush.

 

Kyuhyun’s mouth goes dry slightly with nerves. “So...”

 

“Lately, has Ryeowook told spoken to you about us falling out?” Donghae rushes out, and Kyuhyun watches as the male paces a little, unable to stay still.

 

“No?” Kyuhyun says, confused. “He hasn’t said anything. Why?”

 

Donghae doesn’t look really relieved to hear that, given how he fidgets more now. “Hyun...Kyuhyun...”

 

Kyuhyun rises and stops him from pacing. “What?” he urges softly, trying to meet the male’s eyes. “What’s gotten you this worked up?”

 

Donghae stares at him, eyes searching.

 

Kyuhyun smiles at him, hoping to soothe him a little.

 

“Me and Hyukjae are dating.”

 

His smile promptly falls at hearing the rushed confession.

 

 

 

 

Seeing Ryeowook at the lockers, Kyuhyun heads over to him.

 

Ryeowook smiles at him. “Morning!”

 

“You let me pour out my feelings about Donghae when knowing he and Hyukjae are in a relationship,” he says sharply, but hushed as the other students pass them.

 

At Ryeowook’s shocked look, Kyuhyun continues. “You should have told me this the second I started asking questions, or the second after I told you of my crush, but you didn’t. You used me to point score, to hurt or anger Hyukjae.”

 

Ryeowook doesn’t say anything, and the male’s silence confirms Kyuhyun’s words.

 

“They hurt you, so you pushed them away because they kept it hidden from you, lied to you,” Kyuhyun whispers, the bell ringing as he moves closer into Ryeowook’s space. “And you’ve just gone and followed their path.”

 

“I never-”

 

“Hurt me, yes...you have,” Kyuhyun finishes, throat tight. “You used me, Wook. You used my crush as a reason to hurt those two. You lied...and you used me.”

 

Ryeowook shakes his head, eyes desperate. “N-No.”

 

Kyuhyun steps away from him. “I don’t want to be used like a weapon, Ryeowook. Friendships don’t work like that.”

 

And with that being said, he turns and walks away from the visibly upset male.

 

Kyuhyun spies Donghae and Hyukjae as he nears the staircase.

 

_“We never meant to keep it from him for so long, but we were scared to tell anyone,” Donghae tells him, kneeling down beside him as Kyuhyun stares off into space. “By the time we went to tell him, he had heard the rumours spreading about us and called us out on it. He and Hyukjae argued, harsh things were said from both sides, and Ryeowook vowed never to speak to us again.”_

_“Ryeowook isn’t against relationships like that,” Kyuhyun defends weakly._

_“It wasn’t the fact we were dating, it was the fact that for a little while we had kept it from him, hiding it. He felt betrayed because we didn’t tell him something as important as this; he thought we didn’t value the friendship as much as he did.”_

_“Why didn’t you try harder?” Kyuhyun asks, finally looking at the male. “Why have you let it get to this state?”_

_Donghae sighs, looking away. “Sometimes when you allow someone to heal on their own from something caused by your own actions, you allow too much time to slip through your fingers, and when you try, they don’t want to listen anymore, they don’t care anymore.”_

_“If he didn’t care then he wouldn’t be angry still.”_

_“Anger can be used in many ways, Kyuhyun. Some cling to it for a reason.”_

He doesn’t meet their eyes, and continues on his way.

 

He should never have come back.

 

The group of friends he had left behind three years ago...are changed and playing games with each other.

 

Kyuhyun doesn’t want to play games, he wants a true friendship, and until they stop living in the past, Kyuhyun doesn’t want any of them.

 

 

 

“How much longer is the silent treatment going to last?” Changmin asks carefully as he watches as Ryeowook avoids their table, moving to sit on his own. “It’s been a week now.”

 

Kyuhyun digs his spoon deeper into his rice bowl, not looking in the direction. “Until they stop acting like children.”

 

“Maybe they don’t want to be friends again, though. You can’t force that,” Changmin says, watching him.

 

“No, but I can make them grow up, accept it, and live their lives with no feelings for each other. No more negative feelings, just mutual agreement to put the past firmly behind them.”

 

Changmin sighs. “It’s going to take awhile then.”

 

Kyuhyun shoves the rice into his mouth, glancing over to see Ryeowook’s back to them, slumped slightly as he eats.

 

Swallowing thickly, Kyuhyun refuses to give in.

 

This _needs_ to happen.

 

 

 

Waiting outside the changing rooms, Ryeowook keeps his eyes fixed on his shoes as he listens to the sounds of the football team getting ready to leave, practise done.

 

As a few start to leave, Ryeowook waits until the people he’s waiting for emerges.

 

Hyukjae comes out first and notices him straightaway.

 

As the male tenses, expression wary and guarded, Ryeowook feels the guilt gnaw at him. “I come in peace,” he says softly.

 

As the last few leave with Donghae in tow, Hyukjae nods for them to go back inside.

 

Donghae doesn’t even meet his eyes as he follows after them.

 

“So...your little plan backfired, didn’t it?” Hyukjae drawls out as he leans against the wall as Donghae sits down on one of the benches while Ryeowook stands near the entrance.

 

“I didn’t come here to fight,” Ryeowook grits out, staring at the older male. “I came here to get this sorted.”

 

“We tried doing that but _you_ wouldn’t listen,” Hyukjae says harshly. “Why now?”

 

“Because Kyuhyun is right, that’s why!” Ryeowook snaps. “I’m tired of being angry, tired of being so filled with negativity. You guys hurt me, yes, but...how much longer am I going to hold on to it? How much longer am I going to make this out to be about me when it was about you guys being scared?” He finishes softly, disgusted with himself a little.

 

Hyukjae looks away at that, jaw working, but Ryeowook still knows how to read the male, no matter how much he tries to hide it when he gets upset.

 

“You had every right to feel hurt,” Donghae says softly, looking at him. “We’re-”

 

“But I don’t have that right no more,” Ryeowook states over him.

 

“We’re sorry for allowing it to get so out of hand,” Donghae finishes. “We’re the hyungs, we should have tried harder with you, but we didn’t.”

 

“I didn’t exactly make it easy for you,” Ryeowook admits in a small voice.

 

“You sure didn’t,” Hyukjae says softly, looking over at him. “You always knew how to carry a grudge.”

 

Ryeowook’s lips twitch at that. “You always know how to make me angry, that’s why.”

 

Hyukjae snorts quietly, moving off the wall. “I...I said some things that I didn’t-”

 

“Neither of us meant them,” Ryeowook cuts over, throat tightening at the apologetic look on the male’s face. “It was said in the heat of the moment.”

 

Hyukjae pauses, breathing in deeply, glancing at Donghae briefly before looking back at Ryeowook. “So...where do we go from here?” he asks carefully, voice barely carrying.

 

Ryeowook glances between them, studying them.

 

“Do you forgive me?” he whispers, and Hyukjae swallows.

 

“That depends,” the male whispers, moving closer.

 

“On what?”

 

“Do you forgive _us_?” Donghae says before Hyukjae can, rising from the bench.

 

Ryeowook lets small laugh. “Yeah...Yeah I do.”

 

Both of them grin and Ryeowook finds him tugged into a hug, Hyukjae’s scent flooding his nose as he feels Donghae hug him as well.

 

“You’ve grown,” Hyukjae huffs slightly, playfully. “What have you and Kyuhyun been eating??”

 

Ryeowook laughs at that, Donghae muttering ‘idiot’ under his breath and causing Ryeowook to smile, his chest feeling light.

 

“Does this mean you’re going to come to the game on Thursday?” Donghae asks him cheekily, causing Ryeowook to pull a face.

 

“Baby steps,” he says, causing them both to laugh.

 

It’ll take more than a hug for those cracks to be fixed, but Ryeowook can see them being fixed.

 

Too much time and energy has been wasted on the past, now is the time to just let it go and move on.

 

 

 

 

Kyuhyun winces as Ryeowook screams, waving his arm violently as he yells for the players to hurry and score, his yells joining their schools as their team sprints with the ball to score.

 

Kyuhyun hides his face when Changmin joins in, torn between being embarrassed or amused.

 

He ends up grinning at hearing them both cuss as the audience groans, a goal missed.

 

Peeking through his fingers, he watches as Hyukjae and another player psyche each other out as Hyukjae tries to get free from him with the ball again.

 

As Hyukjae manages to break free, Donghae comes in from out of nowhere and takes the ball from Hyukjae with the other players racing to cover him as they race to try and score again.

 

Kyuhyun slips closer to the edge of his seat, fingers digging into his face as Donghae dodges around another player, feet working fast with the ball as he gears up to find the chance to shoot.

 

“Come on...” Kyuhyun hisses, eyes fixed.

 

As Donghae rears his leg back to shoot, Kyuhyun sucks in a breath, waiting.

 

He screams along with the others as their team scores, finding himself engulfed into a hug from both of his friends as the whistle blows, signalling the end of the match.

 

Their school starts chanting their song, proud of their team that’s hugging each other on the pitch.

 

Kyuhyun waves when he sees Donghae searching for them in the stands, sees the male’s face light up as he waves back.

 

The last couple of weeks have been amazing as far as Kyuhyun is concerned. The other three are doing okay, some moments are a little awkward, but time is proving to be the best thing in helping that out. The four of them are slowly getting back into the swing of things, and as his and Ryeowook’s Christmas show gets nearer, Hyukjae and Donghae are anticipating their performances.

 

Even Changmin gets on well with them, which has made their group expand by one.

 

As they head down to see them, Kyuhyun falters slightly as Donghae hugs Hyukjae tightly.

 

That...is something he is still getting used to.

 

But he will.

 

Like Ryeowook said, crushes are okay to have, but that’s all that it is, a crush. Kyuhyun will get over it, just like how it is for the other three being on good terms again; time will help Kyuhyun with him getting over his crush on Donghae.

 

“Kyuhyun!”

 

And if all else fails, the male is leaving next year anyway.

 

 

 

 

_A couple of months later_

 

 

 

 

“I’m going to kick your ass, Kim Ryeowook!”

 

Kyuhyun sighs, a puff of white air coming out as Ryeowook launches another snowball at Hyukjae.

 

“Kids,” he mutters, hunched slightly in his warm coat.

 

He yelps when he’s smacked with one, just barely missing his head.

 

Turning around, he glares at the smirking male. “Mature,” he sarcastically drawls. “Attacking someone when their back is turned.”

 

Donghae bends down to make another one.

 

Kyuhyun races to do it faster.

 

All four of them are chilled to the bone, but slightly exhausted from laughing as the warning bell rings as school starts.

 

“So you’re definitely going into the army?” Kyuhyun asks as they change their shoes, making sure to dry them off before putting them into their lockers.

 

Donghae nods. “Sent the paperwork this morning.”

 

Kyuhyun chews his lip at that.

 

“How come _you_ aren’t going?” Ryeowook asks, pushing Hyukjae over as the male bends over to change his shoes, sniggering when the older male yelps and almost loses his balance.

 

“You little-”

 

“Guys...” Donghae warns, the second bell ringing. “Hurry up.”

 

As they do so whilst bickering, which is the norm for them, Donghae rolls his eyes and nudges for Kyuhyun to walk with him, leaving the bickering idiots behind.

 

“If they kill each other...” Kyuhyun teases, causing Donghae to snort.

 

“It’ll be quiet then,” the male says, causing Kyuhyun to smile.

 

“What have you put in for?” Kyuhyun asks as they approach the stairs.

 

“Active duty.”

 

Kyuhyun’s stomach clenches at that.

 

 

 

Before Kyuhyun knows it, Hyukjae and Donghae are going to be graduating within the next few weeks.

 

He could feel a strange sense of déjà vu coming on, his memory of them leaving for middle school tickling the edges of his mind.

 

Only this time, they both would be going their own separate ways.

 

Donghae was going into the army to be an active soldier and Hyukjae was going to work fulltime at the place he works part time now to save some extra cash, since he was planning on going into the army during Donghae’s second year of enlistment.

 

Donghae had tried to entice his boyfriend to join him, but Hyukjae was adamant in having some sort of savings in his bank before doing his enlistment.

 

No one has said it, but you could tell there were worries on how their relationship would go during the disjointed time apart.

 

Kyuhyun hopes they can make it; they’ve made it this far.

 

Kyuhyun did get over his little crush....if you call burying it deep enough that you forget that your heart isn’t meant to skip slightly whenever your crush touches you.

 

So Kyuhyun was torn about the upcoming goodbyes, he was worried to see Donghae go off alone into the army for the next two years, but also relieved because the space will help Kyuhyun finally get over Donghae.

 

By the time he sees Donghae again, properly, he will be nearing eighteen, about to go into university, he’ll be different to how he is now.

 

He’ll have changed.

 

 

 

 

...is what he’s hoping for anyway.

 

 

 

 

“Don’t cry.”

 

Kyuhyun stares harder.

 

“I mean it, Hyun, don’t-”

 

A tear slips down his cheek.

 

Donghae sighs softly, brushing it away. “Come here.”

 

Kyuhyun clings to the older male, face buried in his neck as he tries not to listen to the other recruits saying goodbye to their families and friends.

 

He thought graduation was the last time he’d cry.

 

Apparently not.

 

“He’ll be fine,” Hyukjae soothes him, a hand rubbing his back as Donghae continues to hold him.

 

“And you still have Hyuk,” the male reminds him, and Kyuhyun clings to him harder, causing Donghae make a sound as Hyukjae whines about favouritism.

 

As someone with a strict voice shouts for them to say their last goodbyes, Kyuhyun forces himself to let Donghae go.

 

He doesn’t even look back as he hurries away, seeing Ryeowook holding back tears as he passes him and Donghae’s parents who had already said their goodbyes.

 

His chest is hurting, his lungs feeling trapped, and he blindly holds onto the wall surrounding the training centre as he forces himself to stop it, to stop thinking so selfishly.

 

Donghae was going in there alone, and he _hates_ being alone - just ask Hyukjae who has had to put up with the male his entire life - Kyuhyun has no right to be this upset, not when Hyukjae is the one saying goodbye to his boyfriend with the high risk of their relationship failing because of this.

 

He has no right.

 

“Hey...” Hyukjae’s voice soothes softly, arms coming to wrap around him, causing Kyuhyun to lose his fight to stop crying. “He’ll be okay.”

 

Kyuhyun nods because there is nothing else he can say.

 

Hyukjae hugs him tightly, voice choked. “It’ll be okay...”

 

Kyuhyun cries harder at hearing that.

 

 

 

 

One day, during his second year of high school, he gets a phone call.

 

“Hello?” he answers, pausing in doing his homework, grateful for the little break.

 

The sound of laboured breathing comes through, making him tense. “We’re done,” Hyukjae’s voice comes.

 

Kyuhyun drops his pen, stomach dropping with it. “Hyung?”

 

A choked sob that pains Kyuhyun’s heart to hear it comes next.

 

“I broke up with Donghae.”

 

 

 

 

When Hyukjae enters the army, he only wants Kyuhyun and Ryeowook there, having said goodbye to his family before leaving for the training centre.

 

Hyukjae has changed in the last year, his job of working for his mother’s bakery turned him a little soft looking, filling out his slender frame more, his cheeks nice and plump.

 

Kyuhyun knows the softness will go once he starts his training.

 

But his growth as a person has changed; he’s a lot quieter, more reserved, likes to stick to what he knows and enjoys.

 

He also likes to drink now that he legally can.

 

“No tears?” Hyukjae teases as he hugs Kyuhyun goodbye.

 

“You’re not my favourite,” Kyuhyun teases back, hugging him tight.

 

Hyukjae laughs at that, shoving him away as Ryeowook creeps closer to hug him goodbye.

 

“You better write and visit,” he warns them both. “More than you do with Donghae.”

 

Both of them roll their eyes, Ryeowook getting slapped because he was still getting hugged.

 

Hyukjae looks confident, ready for this.

 

Maybe the male needs this change, this moment of their life where change will happen, making you stronger and even more mature; maybe Hyukjae needs this to fill in the emptiness he’s mentioned a few times.

 

Ryeowook is crying a little as Hyukjae waves goodbye, joining the others.

 

“He’s going to become meaner, isn’t he?” Ryeowook complains, trying to stop the tears.

 

Kyuhyun hugs him against his side. “He’s going to be fine,” he assures. “If Donghae could do it, then Hyukjae definitely can.”

 

“Donghae keeps asking you to visit him,” Ryeowook says as they walk away. “He wants to see your face, not your writing.”

 

Kyuhyun sighs. “You know I can’t see him, Wook.”

 

“I know. I just had to pass the message on.”

 

Kyuhyun nods, letting the male go.

 

He can’t see Donghae, not whilst he’s still enlisted.

 

Kyuhyun is over his crush, but...he’s afraid of what he’ll see.

 

People change after their military service, he doesn’t know if he’ll be able to cope at seeing how or what has changed in Donghae.

 

He’d rather continue their letters, the image of his hyung before that day in his mind, not someone who is serving their enlistment.

 

 

 

 

You know how first kisses are meant to be exciting and something everyone makes a big deal out of?

 

Yeah well, Kyuhyun’s wasn’t like that.

 

“Let’s never speak of this again,” he whispers, mortified as he and Changmin avoid looking at each other, the empty stolen bottle of soju Changmin at their feet.

 

Changmin nods as Kyuhyun stumbles to his feet, wanting to leave the male’s room.

 

Kyuhyun chokes out a goodbye, excuses falling from his lips, making the moment even more embarrassing, and tries to walk as soberly as he can through the male’s house and to his own.

 

Come the next day, Kyuhyun is miserable with the after-effects of the alcohol he isn’t used to drinking.

 

To make matters worse, Hyukjae rings him.

 

“Your voice is annoying my headache,” Kyuhyun grumbles, face in his pillow.

 

Hyukjae tuts. _“Rude.”_

 

“Can I hang up now then?”

 

_“Yah, I only have five minutes, update me on what’s been happening,”_ Hyukjae rebukes him.

 

“Nothing, just stressing over exams and choices for university,” he mumbles. “Wook is thinking of going into cookery, he wants to be a chef now.”

 

_“He mentioned,”_ Hyukjae hums. _“He’s a natural so it’ll be easy for him.”_

 

Kyuhyun makes a sound, eyes shut.

 

_“What’s wrong with you anyway? You’re never this grumpy,”_ Hyukjae complains in a whiney tone.

 

“Hangover,” Kyuhyun mumbles, sort of pleased at hearing Hyukjae’s shocked intake. “Not so innocent as you guys make me out to be, huh?” he teases.

 

_“Who?!”_ Hyukjae demands in a hiss and Kyuhyun can imagine the male huddling around the phone, expression eager...or livid.

 

“Changmin,” he answers, lifting his head up to breathe in clearer air. “He stole a bottle from his father’s stash.”

 

_“Is this some sort of rebellious phase you’re going through?”_ Hyukjae demands, mother-hen mood activated, _“because if it is, I will get a day release and-”_

 

“I just wanted to escape for a little bit,” he reassures, cutting the male off. “Will you chill?”

 

_“Cho Kyuhyun, you-”_

 

“I’m going to be sick, ohmygod,” Kyuhyun mumbles dropping his phone and racing for the bathroom.

 

By the time he drags his miserable self back to his room, the call has ended.

 

Kyuhyun can only imagine what the male will have to say in next month’s letter.

 

 

 

 

Kyuhyun ends up visiting Donghae during Christmas break.

 

But the reason isn’t a joyful one.

 

“I’m sorry,” Kyuhyun whispers, holding the male tighter as they sit on the edge of Donghae’s bed. “I came as soon as I was allowed.”

 

“It’s okay,” Donghae’s emotionless voice whispers, head on his shoulder.

 

Donghae’s beloved grandfather has just passed away a few weeks ago, but Donghae was only allowed a brief release to attend to the funeral before having to come back to his station.

 

The male was due to finish his enlistment around the time Kyuhyun graduates, but Kyuhyun couldn’t wait until then to see him, not when he’s upset still.

 

Donghae had requested a day pass to spend the time with Kyuhyun, the extra time would allow for them to catch up properly and for Donghae to unload onto Kyuhyun if he needed too, but it meant they were confined to the military base.

 

So far, all the male had wanted to do was to be held, just them both in the room he shared with three other males who had kindly given them space.

 

“Hyukjae sends his love,” Kyuhyun whispers, cheek pressed against the male’s short hair, his soldier cut starting to grow out a little.

 

“I know, he phoned.”

 

Kyuhyun nods. “Ryeowook-”

 

“I know, Hyun. I know.”

 

Kyuhyun shuts up, neck feeling hot as he’s unable to say the right thing.

 

“Just...just let me have this moment,” Donghae whispers, arms tightening around him. “It’s been so long since I last saw you.”

 

Kyuhyun swallows at that, but indulges the male.

 

After awhile, the older male lets out a soft sigh. “How about you tell me about this university that you want to go to?”

 

Kyuhyun does so, taking his time and answering the questions Donghae curiously asks.

 

“You’re staying in Seoul then?” Donghae asks, head still on his shoulder.

 

Kyuhyun hums. “It’s the only one I liked.”

 

“I don’t think I’ll go,” Donghae says, causing Kyuhyun to look down at his face in surprise.

 

“But...that was your plan,” he says, confused. “Army, and then university.”

 

“I want to have a period of my life where I can live without being stifled by something, Hyun. Education has a lot of rules, deadlines, something I’ve been doing for the last two years, I want a little bit of freedom before I chain myself down to a university,” Donghae explains, and Kyuhyun can see where the male is coming from.

 

“So what will you do then when you get out?” Kyuhyun asks.

 

Donghae shrugs a little. “My uncle is a mechanic, I could see if he wants to take me on since I’ve done some training here on base.”

 

Kyuhyun grins. “Finding a reason to show off those muscles of yours?”

 

Donghae looks up at him, smirking slightly. “That would be an added benefit,” he continues the joke, causing Kyuhyun to snort.

 

“Gone is my soft looking hyung,” he playfully cries. “Now I have this broad and thick hyung with a bad haircut.”

 

“Hey!” Donghae laughs, shoving him at the insult. “You’ll have to have this look when you enlist.”

 

“Which I don’t plan on doing until my late twenties,” Kyuhyun sniffs.

 

Donghae rolls his eyes and shoves him again, this time knocking Kyuhyun to the floor and causing him to laugh. “Brat.”

 

Kyuhyun rests against the bed, grinning. “You’ve missed this brat though.”

 

Donghae gives him a soft look, a smile matching the tenderness. “Yeah...yeah I have.”

 

Kyuhyun’s stomach flutters ever so softly and Kyuhyun smoothers the feeling before it can grow.

 

Over the next couple of hours they have left, Donghae shows him around the base, introducing him to his friends and fellow soldiers before bringing him back to his room to savour the remaining time together.

 

“So,” Donghae announces suddenly and Kyuhyun tilts his head back to look at the male upside down since the male is sitting on the bed.

 

“So?” Kyuhyun echoes, confused.

 

“Ryeowook told me something about you,” the male grins mischievously.

 

Kyuhyun turns slowly, arm resting on the bed. “What?” he questions, wary.

 

Donghae’s grin widens. “Who did you kiss?”

 

Kyuhyun’s entire body grows cold as he stares at the male, stunned. “W-what?”

 

Donghae slithers onto his stomach, hands propping his chin up. “He said you’ve finally had your first kiss, so who was the poor soul?”

 

Kyuhyun’s cheeks burn at the tease, reaching out to hit him but Donghae stops him. “I told him that in confidence!”

 

“You should know by now he likes gossiping,” the male smirks, amused. “So come on, tell me.”

 

“Why?” Kyuhyun pouts, uncomfortable. “It was just a peck.”

 

“And I’m deprived of a social life so let me nosey in on yours,” Donghae says back, causing Kyuhyun to hide his face as his stomach churns. “Hyun!” Donghae laughs, ruffling his hair.

 

“It was Changmin,” Kyuhyun hurries out, and Donghae’s hand stops. He peeks up through his hair to see the male looking stunned.

 

“Ch...Changmin?” Donghae repeats, and Kyuhyun nods a little.

 

“It was a drunken-”

 

“Drunk?” Donghae cuts in, tone sharp. “You’ve been drinking?”

 

Kyuhyun sags, groaning. “I’m almost eighteen, hyung. I wanted to experience it a little!”

 

“Cho Kyuhyun, look at me.”

 

Kyuhyun’s spine tingles at the order, so not used to this side of Donghae that the military has created.

 

He peeks up at him, biting his lip. “Hyung-”

 

“Promise me you won’t drink again until you legally can,” the male demands, expression and face stern. “Or at least with someone old enough to look after you.”

 

Kyuhyun nods, eyes down. “Yes, hyung.”

 

Donghae sighs, tapping Kyuhyun’s cheek with a finger to get him to look at him. “You’re growing up too quick,” the male mutters, studying him.

 

Kyuhyun’s tummy makes that fluttering feeling again.

 

He’s a little late in stopping it this time.

 

 

 

 

Kyuhyun is now a high school graduate.

 

It feels a little surreal knowing he has the next two months free before moving out of his uncle’s apartment and moving into his new university’s dorm.

 

He was about to start higher education, he was about to become independent.

 

He was starting to feel slightly sick at the reality of it.

 

Hyukjae calls him later amidst the celebratory meal he and Ryeowook’s family are having, congratulating them both.

 

As he listens to Ryeowook mock Hyukjae about something he has said, causing their families to laugh as Hyukjae bickers with him, Kyuhyun notices his father leaving, but pays no mind to it, thinking he’s just going to the toilet.

 

But when he returns, he isn’t alone.

 

Kyuhyun spills his drink. “Donghae?!”

 

Donghae dumps his bag, still dressed in his military uniform and welcomes the hug as Kyuhyun launches himself at him, Ryeowook’s shocked exclamation causing Hyukjae to mumble, _“what a show off,”_ causing a few of the adults to laugh as Ryeowook joins the hug.

 

“You never said you were being released today!” both he and Ryeowook say in a rush, causing Donghae to snigger as he releases them, grinning hugely.

 

“I wanted to surprise you and it worked,” he says as Kyuhyun leads him to the table, forcing him to sit down next to him, ignoring Hyukjae’s whining coming through the call.

 

_“You could at least hang up so I don’t have to listen,”_ Hyukjae complains, a pout evident in his tone.

 

“Okay,” Donghae says, winking at them and causing Hyukjae to demand him to not do it.

 

Kyuhyun can’t stop grinning, eyes fixed on the male.

 

It felt right having the male back home now, a perfect ending for their day.

 

Donghae catches him and gives his shoulder a little nudge with his own. “What?”

 

Kyuhyun grins harder. “Glad you’re home now,” he says softly.

 

Donghae’s eyes soften at that, and he ruffles Kyuhyun’s hair to mask it. “Come on, let’s eat.”

 

Kyuhyun nods, but still watches the male, unable to actually believe Donghae was done with his service and he was now just a civilian again.

 

Hyukjae ends up bickering with Donghae over the fact the male is taunting him about the meat they’re having and the bickering ends just as Hyukjae’s time on the phone runs out, making them all laugh as the male is cut off.

 

In another year or so, their group will be back together.

 

Kyuhyun couldn’t wait.

 

 

 

Soon enough, the time for Kyuhyun to leave comes and passes quickly, fresher’s week a complete blur as he forces himself out of his comfort zones to mingle with people starting the new year with him at university.

 

He remembers drinking a lot, and he knows he’ll have to keep that a secret from both Donghae and Hyukjae because both of them had been antsy about him drinking.

 

Kyuhyun was eighteen now, he needed to start living life a little, experience and do things he wouldn’t normally do.

 

It’s all a part of growing up, right?

 

As fresher week passes and the term starts up properly, Kyuhyun soon finds himself sucked into a bubble of lectures and seminars, and computer screens.

 

His major was in computer software design, his minor in Japanese since he figured most of today’s work in gaming software is in Japan, and it meant he could move back and forth easily enough without having to commit to a long overstay in a further country.

 

Kyuhyun soon ends up regretting taking Japanese about five weeks in.

 

Changmin, whom had been learning it steadily through high school, became his mini tutor on some of the things Kyuhyun couldn’t quite grasp, and with the male’s extra guidance, Kyuhyun soon overcomes the little block he had been suffering with.

 

Kyuhyun has become so sucked into university life that it’s almost rare for him to venture far from it and his usual areas near the campus, that he had unintentionally neglected Ryeowook and Donghae.

 

Hyukjae, bless him, had stopped phoning him, worried he was distracting Kyuhyun from settling into his classes and university life.

 

But now, as Kyuhyun gets ready, he’s finally seeing them for the first time in two months.

 

Surprisingly, they aren’t as annoyed as he had expected. Ryeowook, who had forgo going to university due to being hired in a restaurant near Gangnam, his interview of showcasing his skills winning them over and bringing him on as a part of the cooking team, had been slightly miffed, but he could relate to being constantly busy now he’s working fulltime in a hectic environment.

 

Donghae, as always, was just worried about them both.

 

“You’re both working too hard,” the male grumbles over his drink, both Kyuhyun and Ryeowook sticking to soda for different reasons, Kyuhyun had to finish his written part of his assignment and Ryeowook had work in the morning.

 

“That’s life though,” Ryeowook states with a grin. “And I like the rush in the kitchen.”

 

Kyuhyun pulls a face at that and Donghae follows him. “I couldn’t handle the stress,” Kyuhyun comments.

 

“Well I couldn’t handle staring at a computer screen for hours and typing in codes or whatever it is you do,” Ryeowook comments back.

 

“I don’t know how either of you can do the things you’re doing,” Donghae sighs, leaning back against his seat. “Far too stressful.”

 

“You work with your head inside a car’s engine,” Kyuhyun drawls. “It all looks the same!”

 

Donghae snorts at that. “Right, Hyun.”

 

“That can be said for you do though,” Ryeowook slyly says, taking a sip of his drink with a little smirk on his face.

 

Kyuhyun bites his tongue, not rising to the bait the brat is trying to lure him with.

 

“How is work anyway?” Kyuhyun asks, turning to block Ryeowook out slightly with the angle of his body, causing them both to laugh.

 

“Dull?” Donghae says before taking a drink of his beer. “I stopped working for my uncle though.”

 

Kyuhyun blinks at that, surprised. “How come?”

 

“Sometimes, family aren’t meant to work with each other,” is all Donghae says, and Kyuhyun nods, understanding.

 

“So where are you working now?” Ryeowook asks, curious.

 

“I hooked up with an old mate who I met in the army when I was stationed further down south for a little while,” Donghae tells them. “He came up here a year ago and I bumped into him a month or so ago, turns out he needed a new mechanic because he caught his other one pocketing some of the cash, and I had just walked out of my uncle’s at that point.”

 

“Lucky,” Kyuhyun says, and Donghae nods.

 

“He’s alright,” Donghae says, a fond smile on his face. “His name is Jung Yunho, and he’s only a few months older than me, so we’re close.”

 

Kyuhyun nods, ignoring Ryeowook’s stupid gaze as Donghae continues on. He doesn’t see Donghae like that anymore.

 

He ends up kicking the male when he doesn’t stop it.

 

 

 

 

Kyuhyun ends up in a _little_ bit of trouble.

 

Shushing his friends, Kyuhyun blocks his other ear as he listens to the dial tone on the other side of his phone.

 

_“’ello?”_ comes Donghae’s barely awake voice.

 

Kyuhyun takes a deep breath and starts praying. “Hyung, can you help me?”

 

_“Help?”_ Donghae’s voice awakens more at that word and Kyuhyun nearly cusses at the wrong word.

 

“Favour!” Kyuhyun says quickly, trying to enunciate clearly, trying to hide his current state. “I need a favour!”

 

One of his friends starts shouting, wanting to go back into the establishment they were just in.

 

Kyuhyun waves for his friends to shut him up.

 

_“Kyuhyun...”_ comes Donghae’s clear voice now. _“Where are you?”_

 

“Erm...you see-”

 

_“Kyuhyun...”_

 

Kyuhyun winces, praying harder as he tells the male where he’s at.

 

“Can you come pick us up?” Kyuhyun asks, hopeful. “I’ll pay you!”

 

_“I’ll be there as soon as I can.”_

 

Kyuhyun winces as the male hangs up.

 

“Is he coming?” one of his friends hollers, and Kyuhyun glares at him, trying to sober up quickly with the fact Donghae is coming for them.

 

“Just sober up,” he hisses, shoving the male back onto the sidewalk, ignoring the taxis that had refused them service because their friend was far too drunk and he didn’t trust him not to vomit on the journey to their dorms.

 

Kyuhyun wonders whether to go make himself sick so he’ll be less intoxicated for Donghae to shout at him.

 

Hearing his friend retch, Kyuhyun directs his head into the gutter near them as he tells his other two friends to take a taxi back since they aren’t as drunk as their mate and Kyuhyun.

 

“We’ll stay.”

 

They end up leaving the second Donghae’s car pulls up, seeing the harsh look on the male’s face.

 

Kyuhyun doesn’t blame them, wishing he could as well as he helps Donghae direct his unconscious friend into the backseat before slipping into the front with him.

 

“Hae...”

 

“There is a bag there in case you puke.”

 

Kyuhyun almost shrinks at the male’s tone, watching as the city passes them as Donghae takes them back to the dorms across town.

 

“Sorry I woke you,” Kyuhyun mumbles, trying hard not to focus on how numb he feels because of the alcohol, his buzz wearing off now as the heat from the blower starts to make him feel sleepy.

 

“I’m more annoyed that you’re on the other side of town, drunk,” Donghae says, tone clipped.

 

“Sorry...”

 

“What would have you done if I hadn’t answered?” Donghae demands, lecturing him. “Walked?”

 

“More like pass out,” Kyuhyun says, and regrets the joke instantly as Donghae shoots him a glare.

 

“You’re nineteen, under-aged and vulnerable, Kyuhyun. That’s why I didn’t want you drinking without someone who could look after you,” Donghae hisses, speeding through the empty streets.

 

“Don’t go fast,” Kyuhyun mumbles, stomach lifting. “I’ll be sick.”

 

“Good. It may learn you.”

 

Kyuhyun whines, head pressed against the window as the feeling continues, and Donghae slows, sighing.

 

“I’m just ‘avin fun,” Kyuhyun mumbles, eyes shut.

 

“And I’m nearly having heart failure over here because my dongsaeng is about to pass out.”

 

Kyuhyun giggles, relaxing further against the door. “No am not~”

 

“Kyuhyun...no, you need to stay awake, I don’t know which dorm you’re in!”

 

Kyuhyun mumbles something, but the pull of sleep is far too appealing.

 

He passes out to the sound of Donghae cursing.

 

 

 

 

The day that Hyukjae is released is the day the male stuns them all at how _different_ he looks.

 

“You went scrawny,” both he and Ryeowook mourn, almost traumatised at how thin the older male is. “Hae-hyung went bulky!”

 

“I’m not scrawny!” Hyukjae defends, following them to Donghae’s car. “I haven’t been scrawny since I was ten!”

 

“You have gotten a little too thin, Hyuk,” Donghae comments, putting the male’s luggage into his car.

 

Kyuhyun nods, poking at the male’s sharp jaw line. “You can cut something using that.”

 

Hyukjae shoves him slightly but Kyuhyun ends up stumbling and falling against the car, much to everyone’s amusement.

 

“Okay, he may not look it but he’s still strong,” Kyuhyun grumbles, rubbing his arm.

 

“See,” Hyukjae says, pleased as he gets into the car. “I’m still the same old me.”

 

As they all get into the car with Hyukjae begging Donghae to take him for some proper food, Kyuhyun can’t help but study how the two interact with each other. This would be the first time both of them have seen each other since their break up nearly two years ago.

 

As they drive, Kyuhyun began to relax at the easy atmosphere between them, both of them joking on just like they used to.

 

Sighing to himself, Kyuhyun smiles.

 

He’s got his group back.

 

 

 

 

On Kyuhyun’s 20th birthday, he experiences his second kiss of his life.

 

And it’s when he’s drunk.

 

And it’s with Donghae.

 

Breaking the kiss, Kyuhyun wobbles slightly, making Donghae steady him as the sounds of the nightclub thump around them.

 

He can’t see Donghae’s expression, the lighting too dim, his head swimming with the drinks Hyukjae had bought him all night as well as the rush of clarity over what he’s just done.

 

He kissed Donghae. He was the one to grab the male and press his lips sloppily against Donghae’s because all night those lips have taunted him, the male’s scent making him mad with need as they talk about Hyukjae’s latest sexual conquest, stirring all sort of images in Kyuhyun’s mind with Donghae being at the centre of it.

 

 “Hyun...I-”

 

Kyuhyun plays the kiss off, sniggering as he drapes an arm around Donghae’s shoulders and drags him back to the others, leaving the safety of the hallway leading to the toilets.

 

For the rest of the night, he ignores Donghae’s gaze, ignores those old and never-ending flutters of attraction for the male.

 

Kyuhyun drinks till he’s so drunk that Hyukjae has to carry him out, declaring the male the best hyung ever for spoiling him on his birthday night out.

 

But during the taxi to his dorm, he hears Donghae and Hyukjae argue about him, about Hyukjae’s stupidity of allowing him to continue drinking when Donghae had tried stopping it.

 

The taxi stops somewhere, door slamming shut, before it starts again with the sound of Hyukjae cursing Donghae’s name.

 

Kyuhyun doesn’t have the energy to see where they’ve dropped the male off, he just lies there, head on Hyukjae’s lap, his fingers running through his hair, as he contemplates his life.

 

He’s not only kissed Donghae tonight, he’s also caused those two to fall out.

 

“Go to sleep, Kyu,” Hyukjae whispers, fingers lulling him to sleep.

 

He obeys.

 

He ends up dreaming about Donghae.

 

 

 

Donghae never asks him about that kiss.

 

Kyuhyun doesn’t bring it up either.

 

Both carry on, pretending it didn’t happen.

 

Kyuhyun buries his crush deeper this time, suffocating himself with his final year of university.

 

 

 

He graduates to the sound of Donghae and Hyukjae cheering the loudest as he shakes hands with the chancellor and vice chancellor.

 

And when he finds them in the audience, he smiles, heart warm at seeing Ryeowook recording him as well as his father, Hyukjae and Donghae still cheering, embarrassing him as they holler his name whilst his mother and sister cry.

 

His education is done now, time for him to _really_ start living his life.

 

 

 

 

Miraculously, Kyuhyun ends up falling for someone that _isn’t_ Donghae.

 

He was surprised too when it happened.

 

Choi Siwon _literally_ came out of nowhere and knocked him off his feet, he was so unused to being pursued by anyone that he had reacted a bit defensively when the male had started pursuing him.

 

But with Ryeowook in his ear about him never having dated _anyone_ and Hyukjae always making little comments on the nonexistent sex life Kyuhyun has out of them all, Kyuhyun eventually began to warm to Siwon’s pursuing, enjoying how the male would literally glow with joy if Kyuhyun acknowledged his advances, becoming like an excited puppy.

 

It was...cute.

 

 

 

 

He was twenty-two when he finally had sex for the first time....much to Hyukjae’s joy.

 

 

 

 

Kyuhyun was twenty-three when he realised he _may_ be in love.

 

 

 

 

He was twenty-four when he nearly died.

 

Siwon had lost control of the car, the monsoon weather having affected his vision and had underestimated the grip his car had on the tarmac. The car rolled, slammed into the rail guards, Kyuhyun’s side taking the most impact.

 

He was lucky to even be alive, his family and friends thankful when he finally regained consciousness. When he did, he saw the strain on their faces, Donghae’s especially.

 

But Kyuhyun is a natural fighter, he began to recover.

 

But Siwon...Siwon couldn’t cope.

 

He couldn’t look at Kyuhyun without feeling immense guilt.

 

Two months after his accident, they break up, the strain and tension just too much.

 

 

 

“You okay?” Donghae asks, hovering near him as Kyuhyun takes his time getting out of the car.

 

Kyuhyun waves the male away, used to the ache in his body now he was hitting his third month of recovery.

 

Donghae had taken it upon himself to care after Kyuhyun, running him around town and back and forth from appointments with his physiotherapist.

 

Kyuhyun had argued, but the male was adamant that Kyuhyun shouldn’t be alone, cursing Siwon repeatedly for running away, in which case Kyuhyun had to remind Donghae that it was him who ended it, not Siwon.

 

He got tired of seeing the male’s guilt, their love not enough to overcome that.

 

“Hopefully this will be the last time I see this place,” Kyuhyun mutters as Donghae walks at his pace through the hospital.

 

“You can’t rush this, Hyun,” Donghae reminds him.

 

Kyuhyun knows that, but he’s _tired_ of it.

 

He was meant to be working in Japan this summer.

 

Not anymore.

 

“You’ll have another chance,” Donghae says, able to read him so easily nowadays.

 

Kyuhyun hopes so.

 

 

 

“Does Donghae know you’re here?” Ryeowook says, eyeing him.

 

Kyuhyun hushes him, sighing as he places his crutches against the chair near him. “Just get me a drink.”

 

“I’m the chef, not the bartender.”

 

“And this is your restaurant, so please your customer,” Kyuhyun retorts back, grinning.

 

“It’s not my restaurant yet, and I’ve just finished my shift,” Ryeowook sniffs, causing Kyuhyun to bark out a laugh as the shorter male waves someone over as he takes a seat across from Kyuhyun.

 

“I’ll have an orange juice and a water please,” he tells the young girl, causing Kyuhyun to whine.

 

“I wanted a proper drink!” he complains, and Ryeowook scowls at him.

 

“You’re taking medication; I ain’t letting you drink alcohol.”

 

Kyuhyun huffs slightly. “Kill joy.”

 

“You’ve just gotten out of hospital; do you wanna be rushed back in?” Ryeowook demands and Kyuhyun shakes his head.

 

“I’m so over being injured,” Kyuhyun says, accepting the orange juice from the server. “I just want my life back.”

 

“You will, just give it time,” Ryeowook assures. “How is the treatment going?”

 

Kyuhyun looks down at his left leg. “Muscles are still too weak, but at least the bone has started healing properly. They’re just worried at the damage done to the nerves because of the trauma of how badly my leg fractured.”

 

“They’re worried about you walking unaided?” Ryeowook asks gently, and Kyuhyun nods.

 

“They’re hoping it’ll get better in the coming month, but if not, they’re thinking of surgery to see why the nerves aren’t working properly.”

 

“Let’s hope it doesn’t come to that,” Ryeowook says, and Kyuhyun echoes that agreement.

 

“Any word from Siwon?” The male asks casually, and Kyuhyun gives him a look. “What?!”

 

“You all don’t need to pussyfoot around me about him, I was the one who ended it,” he reminds him. “And he has, only to check on my recovery. He still feels shitty, but no matter how many times I assure him I don’t hold him responsible, he doesn’t hear it.”

 

“Guilt makes it hard for you to see reason,” Ryeowook says. “Add to the fact he was absolutely besotted with you and accidently caused you harm, it will be eating at him.”

 

“Thanks, Ryeowook,” Kyuhyun dryly states.

 

“Give him time,” Ryeowook advises. “He needs to recover from it too.”

 

Kyuhyun nods, sucking at his straw.

 

“Should I call Donghae to come and get you?”

 

Kyuhyun kicks him with his good leg. “He isn’t my carer,” he growls out. “I got here myself; I can get back home alright.”

 

“Don’t be stubborn, Kyu,” Ryeowook chides him. “Donghae took your accident hard; he never left your side for long. He’ll want to know where you are.”

 

“I need space, room to breathe,” Kyuhyun mutters, playing with the straw. “He’s at work anyway.”

 

“So?” Ryeowook questions. “Yunho-hyung has said he doesn’t mind-”

 

“But _I_ do,” Kyuhyun stresses. “Donghae shouldn’t have to put his life on hold because my relationship broke down and left me without someone looking out for me at home.”

 

“Donghae hasn’t put his life on hold,” Ryeowook argues. “He’s always put you first whenever need be. He did it all those years ago in school when Jun was bullying you.”

 

Kyuhyun glares at him at that. “I still can’t believe you did that.”

 

Ryeowook shrugs. “My point is that, Donghae-hyung cares for you. Always has, always will. Him caring after you like this? He probably thrives off it.”

 

Kyuhyun scoffs at that.

 

“No, you don’t understand,” Ryeowook explains firmly. “When you and Siwon got serious, Donghae and Hyukjae backed off. Hyukjae was just happy to see you dating, but Donghae, Donghae was always worried, anxious you’ll get hurt since you’ve never been in a relationship before.”

 

Kyuhyun feels his cheeks warm. “I really have lived a sheltered life when you but it like that.”

 

“Just a little,” Ryeowook smirks, causing Kyuhyun to roll his eyes. “But my point is, Donghae never stopped caring, so when you think you’re being a burden to him, just remember, _he_ was the one who came to you, _he_ was the one who willingly stepped in and started caring after you.”

 

Kyuhyun looks down, trying hard not to acknowledge that familiar feeling deep inside his chest.

 

“You’re not a burden to Donghae, Kyuhyun. You’re someone he cherishes.”

 

 

 

Kyuhyun keeps replaying Ryeowook’s words later that night in bed, Donghae having left him for the night once he was sure Kyuhyun was settled.

 

Scrolling through his phone at the pictures of himself and Siwon, he tilts his head at feeling the lack of...well, anything.

 

Shouldn’t he at least be upset that his relationship is over? Siwon was, after all, his first love.

 

Wait...no... he wasn’t, was he?

 

Kyuhyun swallows, eyes locked on the group picture of them taken a month before his accident.

 

He pinches the screen, zooming in on two faces.

 

Siwon wasn’t his first love.

 

Donghae’s smiling face stares up at him from his phone, his own next to it.

 

Donghae was.

 

 

 

 

After his sixth month of recovery, Kyuhyun asks a question he’s never asked before.

 

“How come you never once asked me about that night?” he asks softly, eyes on TV, but he sees Donghae stiffen in surprise out of the corner of his eye.

 

“Huh?”

 

“My 20th,” Kyuhyun reminds him slowly, eyes still on the TV. “When I kissed you.”

 

It takes a while for Donghae to answer him.

 

“You were drunk.”

 

Kyuhyun glances over at that. “That’s why?”

 

Donghae nods, eyes on the TV. “We do stupid things when alcohol is involved.”

 

“Can I ask you another question?”

 

Donghae smiles, looking at him. “You just did.”

 

“How come you haven’t dated anyone since Hyukjae?”

 

Donghae’s smile falls, surprise lighting his eyes. “W-what?”

 

Kyuhyun shifts himself slowly to face him. “You’ve never dated after him, why?”

 

“Because I haven’t?” Donghae says, but Kyuhyun finds the look on the male’s curious.

 

“Your face is telling a different story, hyung.”

 

Donghae looks away, breathing a little quickly. “I...just didn’t,” he says.

 

Kyuhyun hums, causing the male to glance at him.

 

“What?” he demands, a tad defensive.

 

“Aren’t you lonely?” Kyuhyun asks, curious.

 

“I have you guys,” Donghae mumbles. “Can we drop it? It’s not a very interesting topic.”

 

Kyuhyun allows it.

 

For now.

 

 

 

“You’re practically living with him, yet you still haven’t made a move?” Hyukjae says, expression dubious.

 

Donghae gives him a flat look. “He’s just finished with Siwon.”

 

“Oh please, the brat finished the relationship, not the other way around, so that has to say something about how he feels about the other male,” Hyukjae retorts.

 

Donghae sighs, knowing he shouldn’t have come to Hyukjae of all people.

 

“You’ve harboured this crush for fucking _years_ , Donghae,” Hyukjae stresses, almost exasperated. “How much longer are you going to keep it hidden?”

 

“Kyuhyun doesn’t-”

 

“If you finish that sentence, I swear to god I’m going to scream,” Hyukjae threatens, causing Donghae to glare. “You two...Kyuhyun liked you in high school, remember? You fucking confused the poor kid and then broke his heart, possibly, when he found out we were dating.”

 

“That was eight years ago, Hyuk,” Donghae growls out. “He had a teenage crush-”

 

“He kissed you when he was twenty,” Hyukjae cuts in, smug. “But you were too scared to ask him what he meant by it.”

 

“He was drunk,” Donghae mumbles. “And also about to start his final year, I couldn’t distract him with my feelings.”

 

“Like I’ve said ever since then, hidden desires are let out to play when alcohol is involved, Donghae.”

 

Donghae squirms at that. “But-”

 

“You’re looking for excuses when there shouldn’t be any because you _both_ like each other, and now he’s single again and asking questions, that _has_ to hint at something!” Hyukjae vents, frustrated. “Just...stop holding back, Hae. He’s not a kid anymore, he can handle it.”

 

Donghae sags in his chair, stomach a mess with nervous flutters.

 

Hyukjae was right, Kyuhyun wasn’t a kid anymore, he’s an adult; someone who Donghae has tried getting over but has never succeeded.

 

It was time to finally break the silence over this.

 

 

 

 

On his twenty-fifth birthday, seven months after his accident, Kyuhyun receives the most unexpected gift of all.

 

Donghae confessing to him.

 

In front of their friends and families.

 

Kyuhyun, who is used to public declarations of affection because of Siwon, finds himself speechless as Donghae makes a birthday toast, voice shaky, but determined.

 

“You vanished out of our lives, and during those three years you were gone, you never once left my mind. Then, when you came back, you brought back something I had buried deep within me. Ever since that moment I saw you again, all wide eyes, almost trying to hide yourself in your locker, it’s been a constant tug-of-war of what feels right and what I should do.”

 

Kyuhyun is aware he’s staring, tense as his heart slows, waiting with him for the next part.

 

“For years I’ve made up excuses, reasons not to say these words to you, but now I don’t want to make up more excuses, Kyuhyun. I want to tell you, the little kid who dared to be cheeky with Hyukjae the first time you met him, the boy who grow up to be a shy but affectionate maknae, the teenager who changed so much yet remained the same, and the man I see before me now who has beaten the odds, I want to tell you that I’ve loved you for as long as I can remember,” Donghae finishes, voice thick and carrying over the hushed silence of Ryeowook’s restaurant, the other customers watching too.

 

Kyuhyun’s heart picks up speed, his lungs too.

 

“Kyuhyun?” Donghae calls his name, voice almost afraid.

 

“You...” Kyuhyun breaks off, and Donghae looks alarmed as he blinks tears. “You...”

 

Donghae reaches for him, everyone else forgotten. “I’m-”

 

Kyuhyun kisses him.

 

Donghae holds him, kissing him back, and the sound of people cheering is a dim sound to them as Kyuhyun whispers words against Donghae’s mouth, clutching at him as he continues to shed happy tears.

 

Donghae brushes them away, kissing him softly.

 

“You should be an actor, you hid it so well,” Kyuhyun complains, sniffing slightly, causing a few of them to laugh.

 

“He hid it perfectly around you, but broke around me,” Hyukjae informs him, causing Donghae to glare at him as he grasps Kyuhyun’s hand, tugging back down into their seats.

 

“You hid it well too,” the older male accuses, and Ryeowook and Changmin snort at that.

 

“He was obvious,” they say, and Kyuhyun’s cheeks burn.

 

“I guess we’re both a little blind, huh?” Donghae laughs softly, and Kyuhyun nods, tightening their hands.

 

“A little dramatic for a confession,” he teases, but his happiness is evident due to his shy smile and the blush to his cheeks.

 

Donghae grins. “At least this way everyone knows.”

 

Kyuhyun shakes his head at the male’s logic, kissing him again, wanting a physical reminder that this isn’t a dream.

 

Donghae kisses him deeper, hand gently holding his face, both of them ignoring the joking jeers.

 

It’s not a dream.

 

Well, it _was_ a dream, but now it’s reality.

 

If you told Kyuhyun eight years ago that he would be where he’s at now, that Donghae is with him and not Hyukjae and that they’re all still friends, he wouldn’t have believed you.

 

Because back then, it was just a crush, something he struggled with.

 

But now...now it’s love.

 

It’s been love for awhile.

 

 

 

 

When he turns twenty-seven, he enlists into the army as a public service officer due to his accident years ago.

 

Life continues on, his relationship with Donghae growing strong.

 

 

 

 

When he turns twenty-nine, he’s walking down the aisle.

 

 

 

 

At thirty years old, Kyuhyun looks back on his life and smiles.

 

Once upon a time, he had a choice all of those years ago to stay or come back to Seoul.

 

He took that chance of coming back to find his friends, and not only did he find them again and went through a _bit_ of drama in the process, it also allowed him to truly find his true love.

 

Like Ryeowook had said to him on that day so many years ago, crushes are healthy, but what the male _didn’t_ say was that, sometimes, crushes grow into something more.

 

Kyuhyun hasn’t lived an exciting life, quite ordinary and boring really, but he wouldn’t change it.

 

Everything he has gone through brought him to Donghae in the end.

 

He got his ending to his story, and it’s a good one.

 

 

 

 

 


End file.
